Hiring Experienced Immigrants
The Business Case for Building a Multicultural Organization
Jun 30, 2009
For the last 70 years immigration to Canada has steadily increased to the point where Canada has now become one of the leading multi-ethnic and multicultural nations.
According to Statistics Canada, two-thirds of Canada’s population growth is due to immigration, with approximately 240,000 immigrants arriving each year. While half a century ago, most newcomers arrived from Europe, the majority of immigrants are now coming from Asia. As a result, the number of visible minorities in Canada is growing, and many Canadian companies are fast becoming a melting pot of ethnicities.
Human Resources professionals and leaders in general agree that having a diverse workforce is good for business. Benefits include:
- A better and more inclusive corporate culture;
- The ability to attract and retain talent that comes in all shapes and forms;
- A better relationship with clients who can work with people like them;
- A working environment that supports the “uniqueness” of each individual;
- A workforce that can adapt quickly to global demands and competitiveness.
While there are many innovative practices when it comes to attracting and integrating immigrants into a workplace, the following recommendations will help organizations start building a multi-cultural platform.
Tips for Attracting and Hiring Immigrants
- Partnering with recruitment agencies and government agencies that work with skilled immigrants on a regular basis.
- Posting jobs in more than one language or, at the very least, including a catchy phrase in another language, such as Chinese, Spanish, or Russian.
- Implementing a referral program for employees to recommend qualified friends or family members who have recently immigrated to Canada.
- Ensuring that interviewers represent the various ethnicities the organization is trying to attract.
- Training interviewers to be aware of cultural differences when it comes to interviewing protocols.
- Using communication that is immigrant-friendly.
- Refraining from asking questions that could be interpreted as discriminatory.
- Focusing on the candidate’s relevant experience and transferable skills. “Where” they got the experience is less important than “what” they learned and “how” that knowledge is applicable to the job at hand.
Organizations focusing on attracting immigrants and helping them adjust to the Canadian lifestyle are thriving and receiving additional funding each year. Just recently the Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced that the Hire Immigrants Ottawa project will receive close to $2 million over the next three years from the Government of Ontario.
Such programs focus not only on helping immigrants obtain suitable jobs, but also on offering cross cultural competency workshops, and encouraging small and medium-sized companies to hire immigrants. Partnering with such organizations is therefore a step in the right direction for those companies looking to attract and retain skilled immigrants.
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