How Canadian employers can set up newcomer talent for long-term success

With Canada opening the door to more than 500,000 new immigrants over the next two years to ensure Canada’s economic prosperity, employers will be faced with an exciting opportunity to tap into the potential of newcomer talent and expertise.

As employers include this cohort in their recruitment mix, it’s critical they take the time necessary to audit their internal recruitment practices and rule out unconscious bias. Taking steps such as creating diverse hiring panels, using resume name-blinding techniques, and forming partnerships with refugee and immigrant empowerment organizations such as Jumpstart Refugee Talent and Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, are great ways to begin enhancing the representation of diversity in talent pipelines.

To bring this commitment to life, employers can also consider steps to welcome newcomers. These could include bolstering onboarding practices, promoting relationship building between managers and direct reports, and offering consistent diversity learning and education opportunities within the workplace.

Strengthening onboarding practices

The transition to a new job is already overwhelming, but it’s even harder for newcomers who are simultaneously adapting to a new country. From learning cultural norms, to becoming familiarized with local transportation, the transition can be daunting. With a few easy steps, employers can help make the onboarding process smoother and easier for new hires. Proactively engaging new hires by assigning a “Buddy” provides a neutral knowledge source and a helping hand as they transition. “Buddies” can be tasked with sharing the company’s ways of working, culture, values, as well as tools and resources to help recruits get up to speed faster.

Additionally, setting new hires up with mentors can enable them to build a professional network in the company. Forbes research shows that mentorship programs dramatically enhance minority retention rates and boost representation at the management level.

Employers can also help familiarize those new to the country by creating a “Welcome” package containing local information, whether its details into the arts and entertainment scene, parks, or nearby restaurants.

Cultivating an empathetic relationship

Managers play a pivotal role in shaping the experience of new hires in the workplace, and must be aware of and sensitive to newcomers' diverse backgrounds. Taking time to understand their experiences, communication styles, cultural norms, and expectations sets a foundation of openness that prepares managers to provide tailored advice.

Employers should be mindful that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work, and those newly living in the country may require different support and guidance.

Managers must establish a safe and transparent working relationship, inviting their reports to openly share questions and concerns. Building a trustworthy relationship will help drive the honest conversations that are essential for career advancement.

Encouraging continued learning and education

To further promote a culture of collaboration and inclusion, employers can initiate dialogue about different lived experiences to increase awareness and education amongst the workforce. Organizations like Jumpstart Refugee Talent—an organization that NATIONAL provides pro bono support to—and Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, facilitate engaging discussions and provide toolkits for employers to help action their commitments to diversity, inclusion, and equity.

A dedicated employee forum for newcomers can also be a good opportunity to offer connection to those who recently moved to a new country. This network can offer a sense of community and solidarity, empowering those separated from their support systems and serve as a confidential and safe means of expressing shared concerns and suggestions to the leadership.

The most critical indicators of an inclusive corporate culture are whether employees feel well equipped and confident to perform their best, can showcase their authentic selves at work, and have a sense of belonging within their new environment. By implementing some of these simple yet effective steps, employers can contribute to a vibrant, cohesive, and thriving culture, which can improve job satisfaction, retention rates, and organizational growth.

NATIONAL is proud to extend its support to Jumpstart Refugee Talent, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the economic empowerment of refugees, refugee claimants, and forcibly displaced persons settling in Canada. Our team is enthusiastic about providing two-pronged support to them by offering mentorship to newcomers and leveraging our media relations skills to raise their profile in the media.