Thinking outside the box: why hiring refugees makes good business sense

Being unconventional can lead to big rewards in recruiting. Canadian businesses gain significant value when they hire refugees, and with tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Canada yearly, there’s a sizable pool of talent from which to draw.

Canada is a world leader in refugee resettlement, and refugees forced to leave their home countries have considerable experience and skills to contribute. With unemployment rates similar to the rest of Canadians, it’s clear they’re eager to contribute meaningfully to our economy.

Choice recently welcomed refugees to our team, which reflects many of our core values and makes us stronger, according to Tent Partnership for Refugees. Here are just five of the ways Canadian businesses like ours are benefiting from having refugees on their teams:

It widens the hiring pool.

Hiring refugees immediately gives you a new pool of applicants, but it also widens your future hiring pool. That’s because once you’ve worked through the initial obstacles, you’ll be more prepared to hire other refugees. You’ll also be seen as a business that values its contributions, drawing increased interest.

According to Tent, refugees have lower turnover rates, with as little as 4% turnover. Your investment in their success will pay off in the long term.

2. It makes for better managers.

Working through obstacles, like overcoming language barriers, strengthens the leadership capabilities of your management team. They’ll improve at seeing employees’ potential rather than focusing only on existing skill sets. This can lead to substantial growth for your company and the ability to expand your business ventures in ways you didn’t think possible.

3. It brings in new perspectives and skills.

Sometimes, you have to think outside of the box, which can be hard to do when working with a small team with similar experiences and skills. Bringing in voices and ideas from varied backgrounds can stimulate creative thinking and lead to innovation in the workplace and beyond. In our case, it’s good for our own business, but we can also pass these benefits on to our clients through measurable improvements in our digital marketing campaigns.

4. It expands your audience.

Our client’s success depends on our ability to reach new audiences to expand their markets. By bringing refugees into our team, we connect with markets globally and expand our networking capabilities. The future is borderless, and starting with a diverse team will position both Choice and our clients for success.

5. It shows people what matters to you and your clients.

Perhaps the most crucial benefit of hiring refugees is an opportunity to demonstrate what your company values. At Choice, we’re all about pushing creative boundaries, but only in ways that value people over profits. A robust and inclusive team is essential for our business, but it’s also important.

Our mission is to help our clients to influence consumer choices, launching them to the next level. By adding team members who bring fresh perspectives, valuable skills, and a drive to succeed, we’ll be better at achieving this mission than ever before.