Need to figure out your absolute must-haves and would-be-nice-to-haves for job descriptions? It’s important for job descriptions to be appropriately worded. Many  often include many non-essential requirements for a role which could inadvertently screen out suitable candidates. For example, did you know that men, when determining whether to apply for a job, will apply when they meet only 60 percent of the qualifications, whereas women will apply only if they meet 100 percent¹?

When considering immigrant candidates, remain open to any additional skills and experience that they may offer. Experience with international markets, additional languages, and connections to growing segments of the local market are all value-added qualities.

This worksheet will help you define essential versus non-essential job duties. Developed by the Human Resource Management Association (now Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia & Yukon), this tool can help you create a more precise job description and rank each candidate’s skills and experience based on their résumé. This will allow you to screen résumés objectively — without bias — and identify the best candidates to interview. 

This printable template scorecard may also be of use.

¹A Hewlett Packard internal report as cited in “Why Women Don’t Apply for Jobs Unless They’re 100% Qualified,” Harvard Business Review, August 2014.

Looking for suggestions on how to write more inclusive job descriptions? Check out these tips: 

• Avoid using technical terminology, jargon, acronyms, and long, complex words or sentences.
• Use culturally neutral qualifications. For example, ask about the ability to execute a project on time, rather than requesting a specific project management credential. 
• Communicate the essential skills required clearly, while emphasizing that non-essential skills, though not required, are assets. 
• Post the salary range to fill roles more efficiently. 
• Include potential career trajectory information to highlight professional growth.

Need to assess language requirements for prospective hires? The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) can help you assess the language proficiency of immigrants using national standards for both official languages. Consider using CCLB levels in job descriptions to ensure that the right candidates apply for the job.

Language proficiency and communication skills are often a concern when evaluating immigrant candidates. Consider recommending language programs to international students and immigrant candidates.

Are you looking to reach immigrant talent beyond traditional job search engines such as Indeed or the Canada Job Bank? Using these websites is often time-consuming, especially for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) with limited human resources personnel. And for immigrant job seekers, these sites don’t always allow their qualities and skills to be highlighted. Achieving a more diverse workforce begins with creating a more diverse candidate pool. Consider posting your job ad with the following:

• Immigrant or community media sources and publications 
• Associations for internationally trained professionals 
• Language-training program websites and social media groups 
• Local settlement or employment agencies

Developing relationships with these organizations is a great way to attract immigrant talent, as many of them offer job-readiness programs for immigrants and prepare them for jobs in in-demand sectors. Another effective strategy is to encourage your current immigrant employees to make referrals. This also lets your staff know that you are committed to expanding your immigrant talent pool.  

And when advertising a role, be sure to include relevant health and safety policies so as not to deter potential applicants. Workplace safety is a top priority for most job seekers.

“Employers experience different factors that influence their hiring and onboarding of international talents. At the Chamber, we welcome the idea of setting up a regional-specific Talent Hub, connecting employers directly with local immigrants for the efficiency and quality of hiring.”

Ian McLean

President & CEO | Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

Have you ever considered job fairs or networking events as a way to attract immigrant talent? In person or online, many employers find job fairs one of the most successful ways to recruit newcomers who are seeking employment. These events provide opportunities to connect directly with local agencies and share job openings. And, if your company is large enough, consider hosting your own event. Be sure to advertise the event on your company’s Facebook page as well as other relevant social media in the region.

If you have trouble hiring the right person from domestic candidates, then recruiting from overseas may be an option. The Government of Ontario and embassies have the resources to facilitate Canadian employers’ tapping into talent pools worldwide. If you seek help from a recruitment agency, make sure you work with licensed professionals who can navigate paperwork and procedures, as immigration consultancy is regulated in Canada.

Do you need help with your résumé screening process to ensure you’re not inadvertently screening out otherwise suitable immigrant candidates? For example, a recent Canadian study showed that the name on a résumé affects the candidate’s chance of receiving an interview. Despite having identical education and experience, applicants with Asian-sounding names were far less likely to receive an interview than those with Anglo-sounding names.

Read this downloadable PDF to learn how to screen out bias while screening in immigrant candidates.

Does your HR Department need help understanding the academic qualifications of job candidates educated abroad? A credential evaluation may help. Credential evaluation services, such as those provided by World Education Services (WES), can authenticate and evaluate international degrees and diplomas to determine their authenticity and Canadian equivalencies to mitigate hiring risk and streamline the hiring process.

Did you know that most of us have unconscious biases? And that our experiences often influence our perceptions of an immigrant candidate? For example, studies show that if there’s only one visible minority or woman in an applicant pool, it makes the person stand out as different and activates an unconscious bias against them. But we can counteract this and support racial and gender equity by including multiple candidates of colour or women. This is called the “two in the pool” effect.

To help you recognize unintended personal biases and move beyond cultural differences during the interview process, download this self-assessment tool.

“As an HR Professional, the inability to secure critical talent is proving to be a challenging and steadfast symptom of our current labour market and highlights the need for employers to develop creative and flexible solutions regarding talent acquisition and retention. Recruiting from within the immigrant and refugee communities has proven to be a great source of talent; often leading to ongoing referrals and building a community name as an employer of choice.”

Janet Lehman, CHRL

Human Resources Director, Ontario Drive & Gear Limited

Need help formulating interview questions so they elicit the information needed to assess a candidate’s skills? When interviewing immigrant candidates, we must ensure that the questions are not inadvertently setting the candidate up to fail.

Consult this downloadable PDF on interviewing immigrant candidates.

“It is crucial that employers try to address interview blind spots. We found that providing interview questions in advance has yielded great results for Carizon, and we are now exploring accepting alternative job applications (videos, artworks). By promoting a diverse workforce, we ensure we can meet the needs of the families we serve.”

Julie Newman

Director of Talent, Engagement & Quality Management, Carizon

With the rise of remote-first workplaces, virtual interviews are more common. This downloadable pdf on cross-cultural interviewing in a virtual environment offers useful insights.

The successful retention of new employees begins at the onboarding phase. It’s important that they feel welcome and effectively onboarded into the workplace. This is especially true for immigrant employees, who may need more guidance with expectations around work systems, culture, and the rules of the organization — both written and unwritten. This is easy to overlook when the workforce is made up primarily of individuals who share a cultural background. For example, expectations could include the etiquette of shared spaces, such as refilling the coffee pot when it’s empty, taking breaks on the honour system, what “open-door policy” means, or how best to contribute ideas.

Refer to this downloadable PDF on how to create a welcoming environment for new hires.

“Employment is a critical component to the integration and inclusion of a new immigrant to a community; the same is true for refugees. While the benefits of employment to immigrants and refugees is well reported, the extensive value to business and its bottom line is constantly emerging. Learning how to access and onboard immigrant and refugee talent can make a significant difference for businesses in Waterloo region and H2R commits to sharing resources with our clients to find great talent.”

H2R Business Solutions

Onboarding new employees remotely can be a challenge to the forming of relationships built on trust. Communication is even more important in a remote environment, so be sure to share the ways your team communicates. For example, perhaps email is used for more formal requests, whereas instant messaging is used for more informal, discussion-based communication. 

Here are some other ways to build employee relationships remotely: 

• Share contact information for managers, IT support, and HR. 
• Create a directory and organizational chart that includes photos, employee information, and fun facts.
• Schedule virtual “water cooler” chats, and encourage staff to share their non-work-related interests such as recipes or book and film recommendations.

During the orientation process, consider the “Three Ps”—people, performance, and paperwork:  

• Who are the key people whom any new employee must meet, what will those meetings look like, and when should they occur? Examples include informal social events, group onboarding activities, assigning a buddy, meetings with senior leaders, team building, mentoring, and other key meetings. 
• What is required to support any new employee in the performance of their role? Examples include job shadowing, setting expectations and providing feedback, HR check-ins, coaching, and other training. 
• Lastly, what paperwork and processes must be reviewed, completed, and explained? Examples include company orientation, handbook or policies, resources, and forms.

Adapted from the Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia’s, Onboarding Newcomers: A Toolkit for BC Employers.

New immigrant hires need regular check-ins to clarify misconceptions, avoid future misunderstandings, and improve the orientation process. Consider asking new hires these questions:

• What has surprised you about the way things work here?
• What have you liked? What has frustrated you?
• What information would have been helpful to have on your first day?

Connections in the workplace often form naturally, but sometimes, particularly with newcomers, they are slow to form. Providing a peer buddy or onboarding buddy can help. Although it depends on the organization, peer buddy programs work best for SMEs and for new hires located in remote areas. It’s also important for employers to be intentional when considering a peer buddy, to take the immigrant employee’s needs and perspectives into consideration.

For information on how to create a peer buddy program at your workplace, review this downloadable pdf.

“We have seen how successful onboarding leads to greater job satisfaction and reduces attrition. We have instituted a Buddy system to provide new hires with training and support with workplace culture and overall experience. New immigrant employees may not have a Canadian driver’s license or the ability to buy a car. The company has arranged a carpooling opportunity for new immigrants as well as any employee without a means of transportation or licenses.”

Sandi Young

Vice-President, Human Resources, Clarion Medical Technologies Inc

Inclusion is more than a numbers game and integration is a two-way street. Mentorship may help to address both, depending on the needs of your employees. As a bonus, mentors and employers often acquire a greater understanding of both the talents of many immigrants and the challenges they face.

Internal Mentorship

Internal mentorship is a cost-effective measure that supports the integration of immigrant hires as well as cross-cultural understanding among existing staff. Research shows that when mentors are actively engaged with the people they mentor, the new hires form stronger emotional bonds with the workplace, report higher job satisfaction, and perceive greater support from the organization. 

For new immigrant employees, mentoring also:

• Fosters a sense of belonging, helping them to better adjust to their new environment
• Allows them to learn the intangibles of what is needed to succeed in the workplace 
• Provides the opportunity to learn more about their company and Canadian workplace norms
• Offers a proven way to help immigrants transition to Canadian workplace culture

However, employers need to be intentional about internal mentoring. Connections need to be meaningful and determined on a case-by-case basis due to cultural differences. Sometimes it’s best to let connections happen organically.  

In addition, internal mentorships may not be feasible for most SMEs. These programs often work best with larger organizations, although it depends on the nature of the industry and the type of work. 

If you want to learn how to create an internal mentorship program, this downloadable PDF offers useful guidance

External Mentorship & Networking Programs

If the timing isn’t right for your organization to develop its own internal mentorship program, or if you don’t have the resources necessary, there are outside programs you may be able to make use of. 

Joining an established mentorship program helps you:

• Identify and develop potential new leaders
• Address issues of talent shortages
• Reduce recruiting and training costs
• Create a culture of learning and information-sharing which can improve job satisfaction for all your employees

Consider these regional mentorship programs:

• Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre (KWMC)
  KWMC works with employers and job candidates to make connections. We share job postings with our clients, hold employer panels and networking events.

  The Waterloo Region Connectors Program is an effective way for employers to access international talent. It helps to stimulate our local economy by expanding the professional networks of highly qualified newcomers to Canada.

  For more information, please contact [email protected].

• YMCA of Three Rivers Immigrant Services – Mentorship Program
  YMCA Immigrant Services offers settlement services, language assessments, school settlement services, and several group activities. The Mentorship Program, for Internationally Trained Professionals (ITP), has been in the community for over 15 years. It is a great source of talent for employers in Waterloo Region and Stratford-Perth County. Employers can participate in the program as a Mentor and stay connected as a means to access talent. Once matched, the Mentor will provide the ITP with guidance, insights, and assistance to expand their network within their field. The Youth Employment Specialists work alongside Settlement Workers in Schools to provide group and individual pre-employment and job readiness supports. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 

The key to transforming an organization into a welcoming and inclusive work environment is leadership. For insights into how to create inclusive workplaces, refer to this downloadable pdf.

“Immigration will continue to play an integral role in not only addressing the labour shortages in our region but is also vital when it comes to promoting diversity and inclusion in our workplaces. The Chamber is a huge supporter of this, and we are encouraging all our members to engage with the various employment services in the community for supports when it comes to the recruitment, hiring and retention of immigrant and refugee talent.”

Greg Durocher

President & CEO at the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce

Want to retain your immigrant talent and also provide immigrant professionals the tools they need to lead? Consider partnering with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) for its free program: Career Advancement for Immigrant Professionals.

Looking for more?

• To champion inclusion and lead by example, check out TRIEC’s Leadership courses. 
• To increase cultural competencies in your workplace, register for this free, virtual Cross-Cultural Competency Training Program offered by Hire Immigrants Ottawa.
• To effect meaningful change in your organization, consider TRIEC’s Certificate in Inclusive Leadership.

“As a Waterloo Region employer, it is quite evident that there has been a talent shortage for years now. We know this is affecting almost every sector. Knowing this fact, it is extremely important to be prepared and to get connected to resources which have access to immigrant and refugee talent. The new Waterloo Region Employer Playbook is a useful tool that can assist with that.”

Mehrzad (Merz) Salkhordeh

CEO, dB Noise Reduction

Studies show that meaningful employment is cited as the No. 1 consideration in employee retention. Employees also look for professional development and career growth.