Recognized as one of Hamilton-Niagara's Top Employers (2023):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 23, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why McMaster University was selected as one of Hamilton-Niagara's Top Employers (2023):
- McMaster University supports positive mental health through expanded coverage of mental health practitioners as part of its benefits plan (providers include clinical counsellors, licensed marriage and family counsellors, and psychotherapists) and a dedicated mental health site with resources and supports for students, staff and faculty
- McMaster University offers hybrid and flexible work arrangements as well as a variety of onsite amenities when working on campus -- amenities include a community garden and green house, libraries, an onsite pharmacy, and subsidized access to a extensive fitness facilities (climbing wall, outdoor track, outdoor fitness circuit, pool, dance studio, squash courts, and a low ropes course)
- McMaster University takes a thoughtful approach when helping employees manage unexpected challenges, offering compassionate leave top-up for those called upon to care for a loved one (to 90 per cent of salary for up to eight weeks)

Highlights
Industry | Post secondary schools, university |
Established in Canada | 1887 |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Kitchener ON, Hamilton ON, Burlington ON, Waterloo ON, Niagara Falls ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 6,516 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 9,383 |
Average age of employees in Canada | 39.2 years |
Longest serving employee | 60 years |
Benefits note | McMaster University has multiple employee groups, the following programs and policies may vary by position |
Hybrid work | is developing university-wide Flexible Work Guidelines to formalize hybrid and flexible work arrangements |
Flexible work options | flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, telecommuting, reduced summer hours |
Long-term savings | defined-benefit (DB) pension |
Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums |
Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $3,000 each year |
Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 90% of salary for 19 weeks |
Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 90% of salary for 19 weeks |
Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 90% of salary for 19 weeks |
Adoption top-up | up to 90% of salary for 19 weeks |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 24 months |
Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months |
In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, in-house training, online training, mentoring |
Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $3,573 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 1 paid day) |
Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2023):
By Kristina Leung and Stephanie Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Mar 6, 2023)
Here are some of the reasons why McMaster University was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2023):
- McMaster University created an employment equity facilitator program to support all hiring processes, act as process consultants and ensure equitable outcomes -- currently, the organization employs over 250 facilitators who serve or consult on various search committees
- In collaboration with Indigenous groups, the Indigenous Education Council and McMaster Indigenous Research Institute, McMaster University recently developed new Indigenous Strategic Directions to advance reconciliation -- the strategy will act as a guide for the university with four main goals of research, education, student experience, leadership and governance

Highlights
Industry | Post secondary schools, university |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Kitchener ON, Hamilton ON, Burlington ON, Waterloo ON, Niagara Falls ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 6,516 |
Management of diversity and inclusion initiatives | equity and inclusion office and institution-wide equity, diversity and inclusion strategy, equity, diversity and inclusion steering committee (with 8 implementation teams to advance strategic actions), president's advisory committee on building an inclusive community (provides advice to the president and directs questions and recommendations to relevant offices, various working groups within the committee, including race, racism and racialization, gender and sexuality, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit, to name a few) |
Performance management and accountability | enhanced employment equity census report to include intersectional data, data by faculty rank and leadership composition data, census data is shared with all faculties and administration units to measure progress, conduct gap analysis and inform strategic planning |
Employee resource groups | employee accessibility network (acts as a consultive group, support network, and provides a safe space for employees with disabilities), employee resource group for Black, Indigenous and Racialized Staff |
Recruitment initiatives | institutional partnerships with diverse communities and organizations, dedicated talent acquisition team assists departments with finding, hiring and onboarding diverse talent, employment equity facilitator program supports and coordinates a decentralized team of faculty and staff hiring managers, faculty recruitment and selection policy and handbook for faculties (developing policies for administrative staff and clinical faculty), standardized search committee training (includes content on unconscious bias and processes to address systemic inequities), chairs are required to complete a search summary form for faculty apppointments (presented to the dean, followed by the provost, for approval) |
Retention and development programs | employment equity team supports advancement and retention, Accelerated Black Cohort Hiring Initiative for emerging and established academics and scholars across all 6 faculties, many faculties and departments have dedicated equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives |
Training and awareness initiatives | Inclusive Excellence Leadership program for all academic and non-academic people managers, specialized training on harassment, discrimination, equity, accessibility and inclusion, year-long Let’s Talk about Race Series for racialized students, staff and faculty |





McMaster University is committed to equity everywhere
Not long before the pandemic hit, a delegation from McMaster University visited what was then the Immigrant Women’s Centre in Hamilton, Ont., to encourage new arrivals in Canada to consider the university as a place to find a job.
“McMaster is a major top employer in the Hamilton/Niagara region that includes various career paths, from professors to IT to landscaping,” says Melanie Garaffa, associate director, talent, equity and development. “It is our responsibility to help students, new immigrants and our external communities know about opportunities here and understand the process of applying for positions.”
That kind of granular outreach is emblematic of McMaster’s commitment to diversifying its workforce and embedding equity in everything it does. Garaffa, whose portfolio includes employment equity at the university, says building community partnerships with what is now the Immigrants Working Centre, for example, has resulted in many new hires at the university and regular partnership opportunities with this community. McMaster has also partnered with Indigenous Link, Pride at Work Canada and other organizations to share job listings, with more to come.
The result is an increasingly broad-based workforce. “When I came here in 2021, there was much more diversity than I was imagining,” says Saher Fazilat, vice-president, operations and finance, whose responsibilities include human resources. She says she was attracted to the job because the university’s new strategic plan emphasized equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all areas of operation.
“Being an immigrant myself, EDI is a very close-to-heart topic to me,” says the India-born former civil engineer. “Of the five pillars in the strategic plan, three very deeply touch EDI, including inclusive excellence; operational excellence; and engaging local, national, Indigenous and global communities.”
She notes that in one of her areas, finance, over 60 per cent of McMaster employees are female.
“Finance used to be a very male-driven environment, and often still is,” she says. Moreover, she adds, “if you look at my assistant vice-presidents, all of them are women – the chief technology officer, the chief facilities officer, the chief financial officer and the chief human resources officer.”
Garaffa’s role involves advancing initiatives in employment equity so it is part of McMaster culture.
“Diverse, equitable and inclusive practice is critical in everything we do, whether it’s our programming, our policies and our procedures,” she says.
That includes a deep commitment to fairness in hiring practices. “We are working to ensure that the interview process is a great employee experience,” says Garaffa. That can include ensuring diversity on the interview panel, providing interview questions in advance, making accommodations for disabilities and ensuring transparency throughout. Moreover, “we encourage interviews to include both job-specific and institutional-specific questions to reinforce our university priorities and commitments, so we do ask candidates about how they would advance inclusive excellence.”
The university has also set up a network of more than 300 trained employment equity facilitators operating across the campus, who consult on recruitment practices and point out ways to enhance the process using an equitable, diverse and inclusive lens.
It’s another example of how McMaster continues to build capacity and collaborate, notes Garaffa. “I’ve never been part of an organization that is so collaborative,” she says. “It is critical that we have diverse perspectives at the table. When diversity is embraced, different perspectives are heard, included, and become part of our solutions.”
This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada’s Best Diversity Employers winners, published March 7, 2023 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.
The Career Directory
McMaster University has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

Highlights for New Grads
Industry | Post secondary schools, university |
Full-time employees in Canada | 5,001 to 10,000 |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Kitchener ON, Hamilton ON, Burlington ON, Waterloo ON, Niagara Falls ON |
Student opportunities | paid internships, summer jobs, co-op opportunities |
Training | subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $3,573 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Typical new grad positions | Activity Counsellor, Lab and Research Assistant, Food Services Assistant, Invigilator, Note Taker, Library and Multi-Media Assistant, Office and Communication Assistant, Tour Guide, Student Ambassadors, Scientific Writer |
Starting salary | $45K to $50K |
Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, transit subsidies, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 1 paid day) |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
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Bachelor of Arts
- Business
- Economics
- English
- Graphic / Fine Arts
- Human Resources
- Industrial Relations
- Journalism
- Psychology
- Public Relations / Communications
-
Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Hotel / Food Services
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
-
Bachelor of Education
- Adult
-
Bachelor of Engineering
-
Bachelor of Laws
- Corporate
- Labour
-
Bachelor of Science
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Epidemiology
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Information Studies / Library Science
- Microbiology
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Psychology
-
Community College Diploma
- Accounting
- Audio/Video Technician
- Business
- Child Care / Education
- Communications / Public Relations
- Computer Science
- Cooking / Chef Training
- Engineering Technician
- Facility Management
- Hospitality
- Human Resources
- HVAC Systems
- Information Technology
- Laboratory Technician
- Office Administration
- Other Trades
- Purchasing / Logistics
- Recreation Studies
- Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
- Secretarial
- Security / Enforcement
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Doctorate (Arts)
-
Doctorate (Education)
- Administration
- Teaching
-
Doctorate (Eng.)
- Biotechnology
- Chemical
- Civil
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical
- Engineering Physics
- Environmental
- Geological
- Industrial Engineering
- Materials Science
- Mechanical
- Production / Manufacturing
-
Doctorate (Science)
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Audiology
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Environmental
- Epidemiology
- Geology
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Medical Doctor
- Metallurgy
- Microbiology
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy / Kinesiology
- Physical Therapy
- Physics
- Psychology
-
Master of Arts
- Archeology
- Economics
- English
- French
- Geography
- Graphic / Fine Arts
- History
- Human Resources
- Industrial Relations
- Journalism
- Languages (Other)
- Museum Studies
- Music
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Relations
- Social Work
- Sociology
-
Master of Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
-
Master of Education
- Administration
- Counselling
- Teaching
-
Master of Engineering
- Automation / Robotics
- Biotechnology
- Chemical
- Civil
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical
- Engineering Physics
- Environmental
- Industrial Chemistry
- Industrial Design
- Industrial Engineering
- Materials Science
- Mechanical
- Metallurgy
- Nuclear
-
Master of Science
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Animal Sciences / Medicine
- Anthropology
- Astronomy
- Audiology
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Ecology
- Environmental
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
- Geography
- Geology
- Gerontology
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Information Studies / Library Science
- Kinesiology
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Metallurgy
- Meteorology / Climatology
- Microbiology
- Nursing / Health Administration
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Zoology
-
Professional Accreditation
- Accounting (CA)
- Accounting (CGA)
- Accounting (CMA)
- Human Resources (CHRP, CEBS)
- Microsoft Certifications
- Purchasing Management (PMAC, CPP)
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Secondary Education
- High School Diploma
Recruits at these schools
- McMaster University