After graduating with a degree in human resources, Cal Rolle, Associate Director, DEIB & Culture, had to contend with a seemingly insurmountable barrier in an already daunting job market. “A lot of it was coming down to this phrase: You don’t have Canadian experience,” he says.

Cal, who is from The Bahamas and completed a degree at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, found himself taking on a job outside his field, working at a local gym. For a year and a half, he worked to gain experience and leverage his network wherever he could, ultimately gaining a foothold in human resources.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Cal took the opportunity to reflect on his work journey since moving to Canada and think more deeply about what he wanted out of his career.

“I took the time to study and take some certifications in diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and international leadership and organizational behaviour,” he says. “I got a deeper understanding of a lot of the concepts. By nature of me being a migrant, a Black man, as well as an international student with various lived experiences, I felt like I was better equipped to understand the journey of a lot of people.”

In Cal’s current role on Team Canada, he says that the barriers he faced when entering the workforce as an immigrant – and the stories he’s heard from others – inform his approach to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) work.

At Novo Nordisk, DEIB is not “lip service,” he says. Rather, it’s a place where diversity of experience is respected and celebrated. A multicultural workforce is essential “to support the communities and patients that we serve,” Cal adds, and that’s why the company goes to great lengths to ensure employees coming from other countries are welcomed and supported. In fact, belonging is a key element of the Novo Nordisk Canada employee experience. “We go above and beyond for our employees,” he says.

As a multinational pharmaceutical company with offices, production and research facilities in 80 countries and territories, Novo Nordisk offers ample opportunities for global movement within the company. 

When an employee accepts a new position in another country, they have access to a relocation mobility team to help make that move as seamless as possible. The team provides support with tasks such as obtaining a visa, finding housing, hiring a moving company and setting up driver’s licenses and bank accounts. The company pays all moving expenses, including flights and any visa, lawyer or tax fees that may arise. Employees get five business days off to make the move, two months of free housing and assistance with lease negotiations and utility hook-ups. For employees moving with family, the relocation team can provide information on schools and daycares in the area.

Diego Moreno Baca, Health Economics Manager, knows what it’s like to make this kind of big move. While working at Novo Nordisk Mexico, he took advantage of an internal opportunity to take on a role in Canada. It came at the perfect time, Deigo says, because he and his wife were keen to gain international experience and immerse themselves in a new culture.

“Novo Nordisk has a lot of openness about moving their people within countries,” he notes.

Although he was enthusiastic about taking the leap, the decision did come with some apprehension, he says. “You can’t help but think, ‘Am I speaking correctly, do I have the proper pronunciation, will my accent stand out?’ You start getting in your head about it.”

Diego says he was pleasantly surprised, however, once he and his wife had settled in. “After the first month, seeing how diverse the country is – how many accents there are, how many cultures – you just forget about the worry, right? You start feeling good about yourself.”

Cal points out that NNCI provides support for international employees well beyond moving day. Employees are provided a car for the first two months, and English lessons are available for the employee, spouse and children if required. Employees get benefits from day one with the Welcome Plan from Canada Life, which provides basic health care coverage for international employees who aren’t eligible for government health care coverage until a waiting period has been satisfied.

To help employees build a support network and dispel any feelings of isolation, the company will connect them with others in the organization who may have come from the same country. There is also a vibrant array of employee resource groups (ERGs), which can further help employees build community in their new workplace.

Ember Binh Nguyen, Field Force Effectiveness Manager, says she felt welcomed when she joined the company in 2016 as an international graduate through the Denmark recruitment centre. Transferring to Canada in 2023, she says the people she met on the job helped her feel better-equipped, even when faced with challenges.

“As a newcomer, I found the regulations in Canada to be complex compared to my homeland, especially with taxes, retirement plan and the healthcare system, but I am grateful to have experienced colleagues around me who continue to give me valuable advice,” she says.

For Ember, diverse communities both within Novo Nordisk and in Canada as a whole have helped make her transition smoother and more enjoyable. She says that she appreciates the way Novo Nordisk has facilitated opportunities to expand her global experience. “I have lived in four countries before coming to Canada, yet the company has remained a constant in my life,” she says.

Cal points out that organizations can lose the “human element” when they hire for some pre-conceived notion of fit. “Often, that means hiring a lot of people who are the same, or who operate the way that you have become accustomed to as an organization,” he says. This can limit the diversity of the hiring pool, reducing opportunities for innovation.

Within Team Canada, difference is valued, and the company culture is uniquely suited to support a diverse workforce where international talent is welcomed and supported.

“It’s difficult to describe the tangible feeling you have when you come to Novo, but you can feel it almost immediately,” Cal says.