Greater Moncton Playbook

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.

When hiring individuals with no direct experience, I always look to their personal traits and any other transferable experience. It always begins with a candidate that is at least willing to learn and try new things. Being great at non-essential skills can often set them apart from candidates who may have the essential skills, but lack in the non-essentials. Candidates that are open in communication, can adapt, and are self-driven are often the type we pursue. Those skills set them up for success and often open up doors of opportunity.

– Bruce Lutes, Recruitment Assistant, Shannex

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 like those of Le Cafi-NB to international students and immigrant candidates (see resources).

We are very fortunate to have so many agencies, organizations, associations, and educational institutions that provide support and resources for newcomers. When I’m conducting a job interview with a newcomer, if they mention they are very newly arrived I’ll often ask if they have connected with MAGMA, CAFi, WorkingNB, ONB, or the immigration section of the City of Moncton website as appropriate. If not, I’ll provide them with the information. I’ll often get a thank you from them later, saying they really appreciated the information, have reached out to the recommended agency, and are benefitting from it.

– Pat Langelaan, Assistant Director, Talent and Culture, Accor Global Reservation Centre

If you have trouble hiring the right person from the domestic candidate pool, then recruiting from overseas may be an option. The Government of New Brunswick 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.

Did you know?

Success with recruiting talent from overseas depends on being up front with prospective hires to find the right fit, for the employer and the employee. “Indicators for Greater Retention” is an informative guide to hiring immigrant talent outside of New Brunswick.

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?

WES provides international academic credential evaluation services to both job candidates and businesses. For candidates and businesses, WES has a free Degree Equivalency tool which instantly provides Canadian academic equivalents. Also, for employers, you can register with AccessWES, a secure online delivery platform that allows you to access credential evaluations when a job candidate has selected your office as a recipient.

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.

I fear myself that I might have some inherent bias brought on by the lack of familiarity, on immigrant résumés, about their educational institutions or employers. I’m just not familiar with those companies or universities. Whereas, if I look at résumés from domestic applicants who went to Mount A, worked for Irving, you know, it just creates a sort of cultural bias because I understand that experience, as opposed to the immigrant experience. So not quite sure how to process that. Just something I fear.

– John Wishart, CEO, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton

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.

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?

Consider This

To garner better feedback, replace yes-or no questions with open-ended questions:

Encourage newcomer employees to seek help if needed from the following resources:

It’s very important for your immigrant staff to know you all work as a team and there is help if needed. The employees of both the Moncton immigration office and MAGMA are very educated and helpful in answering any questions about required immigration documents. In the past, I’ve passed along my immigration contacts to my immigrant staff for any questions they may have had. It’s very important they receive the proper answers from an immigration professional.

– Emily Mackenzie-Brush, Settlement Counsellor, MAGMA- AMGM (Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area)

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.

• 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 and challenges many immigrants 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 Programs

  If the timing isn’t right for your organization to develop its own internal mentorship program, or if you don’t have the necessary resources, 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

   

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  Online Adaptation

  Evidence shows that mentoring via real-time videoconferencing yields outcomes equivalent to in-person mentoring. Email, chats, and text messaging allow flexibility in keeping the lines of communication open.

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  Consider these regional mentorship programs:

  • Greater Moncton Mentorship Programs

   

  • 3+ Connector Program

   

  • MAGMA’s Federal Internship for Newcomers Program
    The Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program (click here for the French webpage) offers newcomers to Canada a chance to acquire valuable temporary work experience and training opportunities with federal, provincial, and municipal organizations.

   

  • Halifax Partnership
    Halifax Partnership’s National Connector Program connects immigrants with local professionals across more than 30 communities nationwide. Participating members have been successful at retaining immigrant talent and creating more welcoming, inclusive communities. 

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.

Businesses are increasingly looking to immigrants to join their companies. Newcomers have become an indispensable ingredient in every company’s success. As leaders, we need to champion a diverse and inclusive workplace as part of a company’s strategic and operational plan.

– John Wishart, CEO, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton

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.

At Greystone Energy Systems we value the benefits that diversity brings to our organization. We hire many different nationalities with a variety of educational backgrounds, training, and a broad range of skills. We primarily hire for manufacturing roles but when we get a newcomer with skills and a background suitable for roles beyond manufacturing, we share those résumés with managers of other departments and often arrange introductions so they are aware of the potential talent we have on-site. We foster an environment of promoting within and benefit from retaining talent. It’s a win-win!

– Jodi Mattatall, HR Manager, Greystone Energy Systems

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

To learn more about retaining your immigrant talent, explore these resources:

Missing Link Technologies is a fast-growing company. As a registered company with the AIPP, we recognize the values of international talents and we are dedicated to their growth. Besides the collaboration with local educational institutions and the PETL program, we also work closely with the city’s Economic Development team and MAGMA to assist international talents for a smooth transitioning into their professional life in Moncton.

– Thomas George, CEO, Missing Link Technologies