Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - January 2013
As more Canadian businesses become increasingly reliant upon immigrants to fill their labour needs, they are developing new tools and programs to help newcomers adapt and contribute to the best of their abilities and want to keep doing so for the long term.
Companies like Loblaw, one of the country�s largest grocery store chains, have been implementing tool kits to managers that help them to recruit, hire and train a more diverse group of employees. Hays Canada, a large recruitment firm, recognizes that it is equally important to reach out to newcomers� families.
�That can be the biggest influencing factor,� says Hays� president Rowan O�Grady. �If a person comes with a spouse and children, it can be challenging for them. Little things like putting them in touch with other spouses can make a huge difference.�
Ontario-based Brock Solutions, a provider of industrial engineering solutions and services, is considered to be a leader when it comes to integration. The company provides on-site ESL training as well as an international newsletter for its foreign-born staff. Brock Solutions also actively recruits from university and college campuses, many of which are teeming with young, eager and enthusiastic foreign students.
In fact, being foreign even has some advantages in the eyes of many Canadian employers, who see migration as a sign of initiative and adaptability.
�These people come from other places, so we automatically know they�re comfortable sitting on a plane and meeting people,� says Vivienne Ojala, Brock Solutions� president and CEO. �Also, having people from different cultures can be a plus, since they�re not so hung up about Christmas or other holidays when we need someone out in the field. Having a diverse team can definitely be used to your advantage, as long as everyone is open, shares ideas, and appreciates each other�s differences and values.�
Source: Financial Post
