Successful Settlement and Retention of Foreign Workers

SUCCESSFUL SETTLEMENT AND RETENTION OF FOREIGN WORKERS

Evelyn L. AckahOctober 19, 2011

IMMIGRATION BACKGROUND/CONTEXT

• LMO & WP or Intra-Company Transfer & WP• Enter Canada with/without dependents• Now what?• How do you ensure your foreign workers are

happy and will remain?• Diversity and Inclusiveness-successful

integration• Case Study

SUCCESSFUL SETTLEMENT ANDCULTURAL INTEGRATION:

STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN RETENTION OF FOREIGN WORKERS

Renée Bazile-JonesPresident

unparalleled inc.www.unparalleledinc.com

416-214-1311reneebj@unparalleledinc.com

THE STRATEGIC VISION

Creating an environment that leverages the potential of all individuals, in pursuit of

organizational objectives

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GLOBAL TALENT CHALLENGES

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Recognizing and acknowledging individualaspects of Diversity and their impact onperformanceManaging Cultural Intersections

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THE FOUR CIRCLES OF DIVERSITY

Personality

Primary

DimensionAge

Gender

Physical Ability

Sexual Orientation

Nationality

Race/

Ethnicity

Secondary DimensionsHome/Geographic Location

Marital Status

Income

Parental Status

Personal Habits

AppearanceReligion

Work Experience

Recreational Habits

Educational Background

Organizational Dimensions

Management Status

Division

Union

Affiliation

Job or Function

Geographic Location Tenure

Adapted from Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, Diverse Teams at

Work, Irwin Publishing, 1994

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VALUING DIVERSITY

The recognition and acknowledgment of individual differences and the

accommodation of differing needs and expectations.

CULTURAL INTERSECTIONS

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CULTURE - NATIONALKnowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, morals, customs, and anycapabilities or habits acquired by one as a member of acertain group.• Similarities and Differences

– Structure, style, relationships, communication, time, control, motivation

• Values & Behaviour

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What seems logical, sensible, important and reasonable to aperson in one culture may seem irrational, stupid and unimportantto an outsider.

Feelings of apprehension, loneliness and lack of confidence arecommon when experiencing another culture.

It requires experience as well as study to understand the manysubtleties of another culture.

Stereotyping is probably inevitable in the absence of frequentcontact or study.

OTHER CULTURES

CULTURE - PERSONAL

UBUNTU – the quality of being humanYour personal culture includes:

– Personal vision– Values– Beliefs– Instinct – History

CULTURE - ORGANIZATIONAL A set of shared values, norms, beliefs and expectations. These shared elements are reflected in daily rituals, traditions and unspoken directives. These elements have power.

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FIT

• Thinking styles• Communication, team interaction (no I in

team?)• Modes of dress, physical appearance• Political correctness• Being indirect vs. direct• People vs. Task Orientation• Written vs. Unwritten

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CULTURAL INTERSECTIONS

The Global Diversity Desk Reference: Managing an International Workforce by Gardenswartz, Rowe, Digh, and Bennett. Copyright © 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published by Pfeiffer, San Francisco, CA.

National Culture

Personal Culture

Corporate Culture

SOLUTIONS

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Establish and commit to an inclusiveenvironment that Values Diversity

InfrastructureBehaviour

Assess the organizational culture to identifybarriers for all – not just global talent

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Invest in learning programs that develop cross-cultural competencies (organizational, personal, national)

Recognition acknowledgement acceptance adaptation

Establish metrics to measure progress and accountability

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ROI• Bringing whole self to work• Higher retention• More productive employees• Enhanced teams • Higher performance levels and innovation• Less conflict• Less exposure to litigation/Human Rights

complaints

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TIKA HOKI

GRAZIE

WANISHIOBRIGADO

YUPAICHA SIPAS

GRACIAS

DANKE

TAKK

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!MERCI!MERCI!

σας ευχαριστούμε

Qujannamik

Nia:wen

quyanaq

Nya wéh

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Successful Settlement and Retention of Foreign Workers

Retention Starts with the Family• Individual welcome packages sent to Foreign Workers and each of their family members.

• Phone calls, emails and a few mailings to the Worker and family leading up to their departure date.

• Connection to their organization’s contact / mentor to build a relationship prior to arrival in Canada.

The Critical First Few Weeks...• Presidential welcome at the airport by organization’s team members.

• Hotel / Temp accommodations stocked with familiar food.

• Temp accommodations close to their organization’s contact and the work location.

• Starting out funds.

• Winter clothing (if applicable).

• Family meals.

• Tour of new work facility for the entire family.

• Connection with religious, and cultural groups.

• Securing healthcare providers that speak native language (if available).

• Introduction to other organizations ‘veterans’ of the Temp Foreign Worker process.

• Tour of local area.

• Secure permanent housing.

• Enrol children in school and arrange ESL courses for spouse (if applicable).

• Government documentation and banking.

• Tour of local area and public transportation orientation.

• Grocery shopping.

The Critical First Few Weeks (cont’d)...

Retention Continues in the Workplace

• Partner with the Union.

• Be frank and honest regarding workplace environment and what to expect.

• Tool purchase program.

• Mentor relationship more important now than ever.

• Culture shock – for all employees.

• Check in frequently, but allow the employee room to settle in on their own.

Lessons Learned• Culture in the workplace and culture in the local area are vastly different.

• Manage process frustrations early in the relationship.

• Climate can work for / against the settlement process.

• Balance personal touch with outsourcing. It’s very easy for the personal and professional lines to become blurred.

• Perception of favouritism towards Foreign Workers by existing employees.

• All techs are NOT the same.

• Families can present more up front work and costs, however success rates are higher in the end.

IMMIGRATION

• WRAP UP AND CONCLUSION

• QUESTIONS?

• THANK YOU!

Evelyn L. Ackah

(403) 452-9515

evelyn@ackahlaw.com