TELUS’ commitment to Indigenous employment

Building awareness of our commitment to Indigenous employment 

Through our ongoing engagement with Indigenous Peoples and our Indigenous Advisory Council, we received valuable feedback: TELUS wasn’t well known as an employer of choice among Indigenous Peoples. Despite our genuine commitment to Indigenous inclusion, we had limited visibility among the very talent we hoped to attract and support. This feedback highlighted a critical gap in our employment strategy and became our call to action.

We realized that good intentions weren’t enough—we needed to actively demonstrate who we are and what we stand for. Our mission became clear: show Indigenous Peoples that TELUS isn’t just another technology company, but a place where Indigenous voices are valued, cultures are celebrated and meaningful careers in technology can flourish.

Our “Recruit with Care” story unfolds

This year marked the beginning of a more intentional chapter in our relationship with Indigenous talent. We launched three key initiatives, each designed to bridge the gap between our values and our visibility:

Boundless emerged as our flagship resource—a comprehensive careers guide that doesn’t just list job opportunities, but tells the story of what it means to build a career at TELUS. It walks Indigenous talent through our world, from understanding our business to navigating the application process, and most importantly, showcases how we support Indigenous team members as they grow and thrive.

Our new Indigenous careers page at telus.com/diversity became our digital front door—a space specifically designed to speak directly to Indigenous talent. Here, we don’t just talk about diversity; we demonstrate our commitment through concrete examples of career development opportunities and Indigenous inclusion initiatives.

Perhaps most meaningfully, we transformed our recruitment materials by incorporating original Indigenous artwork, ensuring that every touchpoint reflects the respect and cultural authenticity that should define our relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

Those that roam

Elizabeth Buller

Plains Cree and Métis Mistawasis First Nation, SK

Those that fly

Qavavau Manumie

Inuk Kinngait, NU

Those that crawl

Mishiikenh Kwe

Anishinaabe (Ojibwe/Odawa) Magnetawan First Nation, ON

Those that swim

Coria Savard (Yahl ‘Aadas)

Haida Haida Nation, B.C.

Building relationships, not just filling positions

These initiatives represent more than recruitment strategies—they’re the foundation of genuine relationship-building. We’re not just seeking to fill positions; we’re working to become the kind of technology employer that Indigenous Peoples recognize as a true partner in their success. A place where Indigenous perspectives aren’t just welcomed, but essential to our future.

Eagles is proud to celebrate its 15th year as an employee resource group at TELUS. 

Eagles team members hold a pivotal significance to our organization, bringing their unique perspectives and diverse life experiences to continuously shape and strengthen our company culture.

This year, members focused on finding ways to learn, connect and celebrate together through meaningful collaborations:

• Book Club – Read and discussed the graphic novel, Akaisiksikaikskimaiks (The Last Hunters), also offered in an animated video narrated in the Blackfoot language
• Hosted multiple in-person events across the country celebrating screening Local Content TELUS originals and STORYHIVE films produced by Indigenous filmmakers. Filmmaker Dr. Jules Kootachin joined the Eagles event in Vancouver to celebrate the screening of her latest production, NiiMisSak: Sisters in Film.
• Third year of Pathways mentorship program focused one-to-one mentoring and continued to offer Lunch & Learns diving into key themes, such as leveraging AI and understanding TELUS’ internal structure to support Indigenous team members on their career journeys at TELUS.

“Volunteering at amazing events that support Eagles like the screening of NiiMisSak: Sisters in Film keeps me informed and is part of my commitment to reconciliation. I appreciate that I always learn something new and I am grateful to have frequent opportunities to give my time.”

David Matte, Proud member of the TELUS team

Meet the new Eagles co-chairs, Angela & Jennifer

Angela Phoon

Cree and Dene

Angela Phoon is Dene and Cree living in Edmonton, Alberta. She started in a technical role at TELUS four years ago and is now a Community and Service Excellence Manager at TELUS. Her passion for community-building and establishing new connections is part of what drew her to this role, as well as to TELUS Eagles.

For Phoon, the Eagles resource group has given her opportunities to network with team members she would have never met through her daily work. Now, as she steps into her role as Eagles co-chair, Phoon is driven by two guiding questions that will help shape her efforts and those of the Eagles Council.

The first is, “How can we help team members understand the roadblocks in their careers and help remove them?”

That’s why one area of focus for Phoon is Pathways, the mentorship program for Indigenous team members that pairs Indigenous mentees with mentors across the business and provides group learning sessions as well.

The second question that guides Phoon is, “How can we make microchanges in our real jobs that we might be learning from Eagles?”

Phoon looks forward to inspiring meaningful micro-changes in the workplace by celebrating diverse perspectives and educating team members about Indigenous ways of being.

“We all have different backgrounds and experiences that we bring, and that really helps us to grow as a group and in our everyday roles.”

Jennifer Baker Elson

Mohawk

Jennifer Baker Elson is of Mohawk and European ancestry and has been a TELUS team member for 27 years, starting as a training specialist and now serving as the Director of Retail Experience. She recently committed to her new role as co-chair of Eagles and brings with her both project management skills and a personal passion for learning about Indigenous cultures and histories.

Baker Elson shared that she “was attracted to Eagles for a sense of community” and was also looking for support in learning about her own family’s history.

She is Mohawk on her dad’s side, and her grandfather and his siblings were adopted out as young children into different families. “As you can imagine, my grandfather was not in touch with where he came from, and my dad is just starting to better understand our history.”

The opportunity to lead Eagles is a privilege Baker Elson has the capacity to take on now that her children are grown and she can focus on projects that are both professionally and personally meaningful.

So far in her new role, she is challenging the Eagles Council members to reflect on how to create more opportunities for deeper connections and meaningful dialogue, whether that be through in-person events or virtual engagement with members.

As one of the key priorities of her tenure, Baker Elson is also focused on ensuring Eagles support the development of Indigenous team members’ careers through initiatives like the Pathways program.

While Baker Elson acknowledges that she and Angela bring unique perspectives and skills to the team, she has already seen the incredible impact that they can have as they focus on their key priorities of educating team members and supporting their career growth through intentional and inspiring programming.