Bank suggests woman wear traditional regalia for job applica

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Christine Paquette was scrolling through an online job site when she came across a posting looking to recruit Indigenous people for customer service jobs at CIBC.

The 21-year-old Ojibway and Métis woman works as a part-time receptionist at an esthetics salon and was hoping to find a second job, one that could lead to a possible career.

"It seemed kind of like a good way to get my foot in the door," Paquette said in an interview with Go Public from her home in Winnipeg.

Her fluent French and work experience made Paquette think that a banking job could be a good fit for her — until she started going through the questions in the online application.

"It said along the lines, 'Please explain, like, your favourite tradition or your favourite story,'" Paquette said. "I was like, 'Huh, that's a little odd thing to be asking.' ... How is a traditional story going to help me excel in, like, the role of a bank teller?"

Paquette continued with the application, even though that question didn't sit well with her. But she didn't get very far after that.

"That was, like, the appetizer," she explained.

The questions continued: "How would you describe your communication skills? TIP: Why don't you show us instead?" the application read.

It went on to encourage Indigenous applicants to let their personality shine in a video cover letter and "to write a song, poem, dress in traditional regalia or bring in back-up dancers!" as part of the video submission.

"I was like, OK, that's enough, that's all I need to see," Paquette said.

"I want you to prove to me how Indigenous you are," she said. "That's how I took it."

Like many businesses across Canada, CIBC told Go Public that it is committed to taking steps to ensure its workforce reflects the communities where its employees live and work. But experts in the field of Indigenous recruitment strategy say the bank's job application — and Christine's experience — is a good opportunity for companies to learn better practices when pursuing diverse workplaces.

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"The questions continued: "How would you describe your communication skills? TIP: Why don't you show us instead?" the application read.
It went on to encourage Indigenous applicants to let their personality shine in a video cover letter and "to write a song, poem, dress in traditional regalia or bring in back-up dancers!" as part of the video submission.

The bank said it has been working with a not-for-profit Indigenous organization, Our Children's Medicine (OCM), and that the questions that offended Paquette had actually been designed in consultation with Indigenous community leaders and elders.

Go Public contacted OCM. In a statement, the organization confirmed that the questions were created "in consultation with Indigenous elders, knowledge keepers and other members of the community."

Paquette says that the question asking her to share her "favourite Indigenous tradition/story" brought up a wide range of emotions.

She says her grandmother went to a residential day school and was made to be ashamed of her heritage, so she didn't pass down any traditions to her daughter, Christine's mother — who in turn couldn't teach Christine.

"How are you going to go on and ask me to share my favourite story or tradition when ... settlers and, like, residential schools taught us that it's not OK?" Paquette said. "To be asking Indigenous people to share their favourite story or their favourite part of their culture that they don't even have access to anymore is really insensitive."

Paquette also thought it wasn't appropriate for CIBC to suggest that she dress in traditional clothing as part of the application.

Whoever came up with that in the bank's HR department deserves to be fired.

+2 points to funeralxempire.

You should almost just copy & paste that post to the bank's PR/HR departments and educate them yourself. Never know, they might appreciate the feedback - hell - they might ask you to consult on policy changes.

Sadly I don't have much in the way of immersion in traditional culture, I'm in no position to give insight from that angle. Really the only insight I can offer is from the perspective of someone who probably would count as assimilated except for the way my family dynamics work out means I only know my dad's mom's family. The fact that I'm accepted unquestioningly in spite of that is what drives me to be really outspoken when it comes to outsiders trying to impose artificial qualifications like blood quantum, as well as with reminding people that we're not all on reservations or otherwise in remote communities and that our culture is literally whatever culture we produce, not just things based on pre-contact traditions.

It's still almost embarrassing how little we all know about the various tribes/nations & peoples all around here, though. We're not taught it or exposed to it - super pathetic.