In the 2001 census, 13% of Canadians identified themselves as belonging to a visible minority. According to Statistics Canada, by 2017 that number could climb to between 19% and 23%. This means that tourism employers need to develop new recruitment approaches that target and cater to the needs of immigrants in order to meet ongoing staffing needs.  It is also interesting to note that on Prince Edward Island there has been a 470% increase in the number of immigrants between 2004 and 2008 to 1,456 (more than 1% of the total population).  

New Canadians bring Canada rich cultural influences and an important skill base. To capitalize on this talent pool, businesses must recognize the applicability of foreign experience and the potential for New Canadians to contribute to their organizations.

Mentoring programs

An internal mentoring program can help new employees, especially when they are new to Canada, adjust to the workplace. External mentoring programs will bring you into contact with internationally trained workers in specific occupations. This will give you good insight into the needs of internationally trained workers and help you find potential candidates for vacant positions in your organization.

What employers say about working with Newcomers to Canada?

The employment face in PEI is changing and the benefits are cultural! I think all businesses should experience working with people from other countries whether it be in your busiest time of the day rushing to please all your customers, or simply having the chance to share a coffee-break and listen to some of the stories these newcomers have to share, it’s an amazing experience. It’s nice to see this beginning to happen here on PEI.
          ~ Emily Wells, Food and Beverage Manager at the Dunes Studio Gallery and Café

Our new employees have such interest in the business as we take them through the orientation and training process. They complement our team here at Old Navy with a great work ethic and an eagerness to perform well. They bring skill, experience and creativity to the workplace and generate a synergy of making small things big. We all share a common life, so we enjoy the contrast of their culture to our daily lives. 
         ~ Kathy Chappell, General Manager Old Navy

Training employees who are new to Canada

When training staff, many employers stick to the same script that they have used in past years.  Although that approach may have worked well in the past, the face of the workforce is changing and we need to adapt as well. 

The Thiagi Group site provides a variety of ideas on training and facilitating.  One activity that can be especially helpful is "Angry Customer".  Training front line staff to handle angry and abusive customers is a tough challenge.  Effective communication with an angry customer requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.  For this rapid role play activity, follow this link: Angry Customer.

The Thiagi Group also has a list of suggestions about working with people who are from a culture different from your own on their website.  One simple recommendation that can be used with all employees is: CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING - Minimize miscommunications by having the listener retell the speaker what they heard. Clarify the message until the speaker accepts the retelling of the listener. 

Visit the Thiagi website by clicking here.

Find Success in Staff Recruitment with New Canadians

As many employers know, the old adage tends to be true: good help is hard to find.  This is especially true in the tourism industry where the majority of jobs are seasonal which creates a challenge in itself.  So how do employers deal with finding and keeping workers who fit the business and work group?  Elaine Thomson, Manager of the Comfort Inn in Charlottetown, recently shared some of the recruiting practices that have worked in her organization. 

A resource that works well for Elaine is the strong relationship she has with the PEI Newcomers Association. This group works with employers to identify job candidates, arrange assistance for applicants to fill out forms and participate in interviews, as well as provide references for applicants who have limited work experience in Canada.  At the Comfort Inn Charlottetown, entry-level positions such as housekeeping do not necessarily require reading and writing in English and have served as positive stepping stones for non-English speakers. 

The reader board in front of the motel has been the second most useful tool in recruiting staff.  It identifies job opportunities and directs those interested to their recruitment website.  Simply by having the reader board in front of the motel, the job location is obvious and allows applicants to see what type of business they would be working for. 

In addition to the URL on the reader board, Elaine uses calling cards which she and other employees, such as her Assistant Manager Shawna Grandjean (pictured above), distribute at job fairs.  With this non-invasive tool, employees can hand out the cards to others they feel would be a good fit with the team (i.e. employee referrals).  As Elaine says, “The ones that work out best are the ones that are recommended by staff.” 

Once at the recruitment website job seekers will be taken through an application process including an online survey.  The report generated from the answers (none right or wrong) is used as an indicator of personal traits and aptitudes that the employer is seeking – such as honesty, reliability, etc. – and has been used as a predictor of success in the organization.

All of these pieces are part of a larger recruiting process, according to Elaine.  None of these are stand alone procedures, but rather must be viewed as tools in conjunction with the interview, orientation, reference checks, and first impressions.  By reflecting on your processes, tools and hiring results you will gain confidence in your recruitment skills and finding the right employees.  When you find the right “fit”, you will find valuable and long term employees.