Our People

CSIS Across Canada

The CSIS People Strategy

In 2019, CSIS introduced a comprehensive and multi-year strategy to guide initiatives and modernize all areas of people management within the organization. The CSIS People Strategy sets out broad themes and initiatives for modernization, including improving human resource policies and processes, enhancing learning and talent management, and fostering a safe, healthy and respectful workplace. Collectively, the CSIS People Strategy sets a vision to attract, develop and retain the talent needed now and in the future in order to meet the organization’s mission to keep Canada and Canadians safe from threats at home and abroad.

Dedicated to Health and Wellness

CSIS employees are the organization’s most valuable resource and ensuring that their work environment is healthy, safe and respectful is essential. That is why CSIS is taking concrete steps to strengthen the cultural values of our workplace and ensure that every employee shares in the responsibility. This includes launching a values-based Code of Conduct, new guidelines on disciplinary measures and more mandatory training for supervisors. CSIS also launched the Respect Campaign to re-enforce the importance and value of civility and respect in the workplace and held numerous town halls across the country to discuss concerns with employees.

CSIS takes a holistic approach to health and wellness by considering the physical and psychological well-being of employees. The Health and Wellness Centre of Expertise located at our National Headquarters in Ottawa has a team that includes Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals, Occupational Health Nurses and Informal Conflict Management Services. CSIS remains committed to adopting the National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and has integrated the concept across various organizational initiatives, including a Respect and Civility campaign.

An increase in mental health dialogue, training and awareness at CSIS has led to an increase in demand for the services and support of the Centre. There are several programs in place to address the needs of the organization and its employees, including a Disability Management Program that assists employees who are on medical leave to return to work as early and safely as possible. A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program offers a number of confidential services to employees and their immediate family members.

CSIS has a responsibility to protect employees against psychological injury which is why the Health and Wellness Centre of Expertise has undertaken several preventative initiatives such as developing mental health workshops, instituting mandatory Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) training and delivering a course on Mitigating the Negative Effects of Exposure to Potentially Disturbing Material.

In recognition of the higher prevalence of Operational Stress Injuries in public safety personnel, CSIS has actively participated in initiatives related to the development of Supporting Canada’s Public Safety Personnel: An Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries which was released in April 2019. The Action Plan is a key component of a broader Federal Framework, the establishment of which is required by the Federal Framework on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act.

GBA+

CSIS is dedicated to ensuring that its activities are aligned with the Government of Canada’s commitments to Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+). To enable this, CSIS will work to integrate GBA+ into its policies, programs, initiatives and operational activities. This will support evidence-based decisions, thus improving results for stakeholders, our employees and all Canadians. Diversity is a core part of our ability to protect Canada’s national security.

Recruiting for the Mission

CSIS recognises how important it is to bring new and diverse talent to its workforce. In 2019, CSIS organised over 100 recruiting events from coast to coast and sought talent for over 100 different positions within the organization. CSIS is updating its compensation and benefits package to ensure it remains competitive in the current job market.

CSIS continues to foster recruitment collaboration with our federal partners through the Federal Safety Security and Intelligence (FSSI) partnership. Beyond sharing best practices, FSSI partners benefit from the financial efficiencies of combining recruitment efforts between eight government departments. We are proud of the partnership developed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Public Safety Canada, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Correctional Service Canada (CSC), Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) to recruit top talent to work within public safety and security.

CSIS Women’s Network

On March 7, 2019 — the day before International Women’s Day — the CSIS Women’s Network officially launched with the aim to promote diversity of thought, address gender and unconscious bias, and provide networking and mentorship opportunities for women at CSIS.

The CSIS Women’s Network was originally founded by a group of women professionals with the goal of supporting the advancement and well-being of women within the organization. Since then, the network has launched a speaker series where leaders and industry experts share career advice and inspire others to break through barriers and reach higher in their careers. The network’s mentorship program has become a very popular resource for those seeking assistance and for those seeking to assist on how to navigate through the triumphs and challenges of any career.

The CSIS Women’s Network adds to a growing list of other long-established professional networks and social committees including the CSIS Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, the CSIS Young Professionals Network as well as the CSIS Green Committee.