Helping Skilled Immigrants Succeed
How to Capitalize on the Strengths of Experienced Foreigners
Jul 18, 2009
There are many benefits to attracting and hiring skilled immigrants into organizations. One of them is undoubtedly the ability to create a workplace environment that supports the individuality of each employee, regardless of their cultural heritage, while capitalizing on their unique competencies and credentials.
To ensure newly-hired skilled immigrants reach their full potential, and recruitment practices targeting such candidates demonstrate a high ROI, organizations need to pay special attention to what happens after the candidates have said “yes” and have started working.
The first step in ensuring foreigners are successfully integrated into the new organization is to put them through an on-boarding or orientation program. The program should cover topics such as:
- An introduction to the company values, culture, corporate objectives, and organizational structure.
- A brief explanation of policies and processes that will affect the new hire.
- An outline of diversity initiatives the company is involved in.
- An introduction to the various people and social committees the new hire can volunteer with, including those focusing on diversity and multiculturalism.
Assigning a Buddy or Coach
It is important to assign a buddy or coach for each new hire, ideally someone with a similar cultural background who will relate to the new hire’s experience and background. The buddy or coach doesn’t necessarily have to be the new hire’s immediate supervisor or manager. Buddy responsibilities may include:
- Introducing the new hire to team members, management, and employees from other departments.
- Explaining local practices, and providing how-to information: how to submit an expense report, how to apply for vacation, how to ensure they are on relevant internal mailing distribution lists, and how to navigate the corporate intranet.
- Taking them for lunch or coffee on their first day to help transition them into the new environment.
- Answering any questions they may have or directing them to the appropriate people within the organization.
- Checking in regularly to make sure everything is going well, and that the new hire is adjusting as expected.
Discussing Performance Expectations
It is important for the immediate supervisor or manager to sit down with the new hire and clarify not only job responsibilities, but also things such as expectations regarding performance results, communication methods and frequency, process for providing feedback, raising concerns or escalating conflict.
Each culture is different, and new hires may not always know what is acceptable or not. Communication, for example, is mostly cultural, drawing on verbal and non-verbal messages that are deemed as acceptable or not in a particular culture. In some cultures, speaking up in a meeting is acceptable only when the meeting leader specifically invites participants to provide their input.
Cultural differences are much more intricate than it is possible to convey. Each of them influences workplace communications and relationships, and can be responsible for misinterpretation and conflict. A culturally-fluent approach to integrating newly-hired experienced foreigners into an organization will ensure they are successful in their roles, and will guarantee a high ROI on corporate diversity initiatives.
Recommended related article: "Hiring Experienced Immigrants."
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