Hiring Refugees is An Opportunity for Canadian Businesses

June 25, 2018. This op-ed by FPI’s deputy director, David Dyssegaard Kallick and the Tent Foundation’s executive director, Gideon Maltz, discusses the research on refugees that was co-released by both organizations. They discuss the findings of their research which include higher retention rates for refugee employees and recruitment benefits for employers who integrate refugees into their workforce. They highlight that Canada is doing a good job hiring refugees and that they hope America’s experiences will motivate them to keep doing this work.

While many countries have closed their borders, Canada has shown bold leadership — doubling down on its commitment to help refugees and welcoming almost 100,000 since 2015. In doing so, Canada has not only upheld its values; it has expanded its labour force with newcomers eager to contribute to the economy.

The experience of companies that have already hired refugees should encourage those that are still hesitant because they are uncertain about how to manage language barriers, cultural differences and training needs. Hiring newcomers does present challenges, and companies must often make modest investments to address them.

However, new research by the Fiscal Policy Institute and the Tent Partnership for Refugees on the experience of businesses that have hired refugees in the United States shows a return on investment for those willing to do so — and should provide reassurance to Canadian companies. U.S. companies have a very positive story to tell about the success of refugee integration, despite the current U.S. government’s reduction of refugee resettlement to historic lows.

Here is the link to The Star.

Published On: June 25th, 2018|Categories: FPI in the News|

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June 25, 2018. This op-ed by FPI’s deputy director, David Dyssegaard Kallick and the Tent Foundation’s executive director, Gideon Maltz, discusses the research on refugees that was co-released by both organizations. They discuss the findings of their research which include higher retention rates for refugee employees and recruitment benefits for employers who integrate refugees into their workforce. They highlight that Canada is doing a good job hiring refugees and that they hope America’s experiences will motivate them to keep doing this work.

While many countries have closed their borders, Canada has shown bold leadership — doubling down on its commitment to help refugees and welcoming almost 100,000 since 2015. In doing so, Canada has not only upheld its values; it has expanded its labour force with newcomers eager to contribute to the economy.

The experience of companies that have already hired refugees should encourage those that are still hesitant because they are uncertain about how to manage language barriers, cultural differences and training needs. Hiring newcomers does present challenges, and companies must often make modest investments to address them.

However, new research by the Fiscal Policy Institute and the Tent Partnership for Refugees on the experience of businesses that have hired refugees in the United States shows a return on investment for those willing to do so — and should provide reassurance to Canadian companies. U.S. companies have a very positive story to tell about the success of refugee integration, despite the current U.S. government’s reduction of refugee resettlement to historic lows.

Here is the link to The Star.

Published On: June 25th, 2018|Categories: FPI in the News|

Share on Social Media!