Employer Tools and Resources

“What’s stopping you?” – Overcoming Barriers to Hiring Tech-Skilled Immigrant Talent in Canada

By Ryan Carter, Project Lead at the Immigrant Employment Council of BC It’s no secret that immigrants are crucial to Canada’s prosperity.

The Tech Bootcamps: Building a community of engaged tech employers.

Tech employers have historically been at the forefront of inclusive hiring, but major challenges still exist in the sector for effective newcomer labour market attachment.

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#BCJobConnect: A Key Resource for Advancing Employer Diversity and Inclusion in BC

  British Columbia’s economy is gradually reopening following the COVID-19 pandemic and local employers are looking to strengthen their business by investing in immigrant talent.

Employer Playbook: Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces.

Leveraging the expertise and best practices developed by members of the #ImmigrantsWork coalition, the Employer Playbook is intended to provide easy-to-implement strategies that support your efforts to:       Recruit the best candidates to see your organization through this turbulent time       Add diverse perspectives that support your company’s resilience     […]

Manu Varma from Traction on Demand

In this podcast, Manu Varma, HR expert from Traction on Demand, shares his thoughts on how authentic Personal Branding can help a potential hire really stand out.

ASCEND Participant Feature: Jaspreet Hundal

Jaspreet Hundal came to Canada in April 2019, and participated in the ASCEND program just six months  later.

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Diversity and Inclusion – Mentoring Success Story

  Jaspreet left India and arrived in British Columbia in the spring of 2019 with six years of progressive experience in developing competency-based practical skill tests for vocational trade training programs.

Onboarding Newcomers: Toolkits for Employers

IEC-BC helps employers effectively connect with immigrant talent.

WEBINAR – FAST: Strengthen Your Workforce

On December 20, 2018 IEC-BC and BioTalent Canada hosted a webinar to help biotechnology employers grow a diverse and inclusive workplace.

WEBINAR – BC JobConnect: Making it Easy for Employers to Connect to Immigrant Talent

On October 23, 2018 IEC-BC hosted a webinar with the Surrey Board of Trade to familiarize employers with the various functions of BC JobConnect.

WEBINAR – Facilitating Your Access to Global Talent: Programs and Supports for Employers

On March 21, 2018, IEC-BC hosted a webinar on the current programs and supports available to employers interested in hiring newcomers to Canada.

Employer Tip Sheets: Onboarding Refugees

A series of tip sheets aimed to help employers in their efforts to hire, onboard and retain refugees are now available from IEC-BC.

WEBINAR – How to Assess Credentials & Screen-In New Canadians

On November 20, 2014, IEC-BC hosted a webinar on assessing credentials of new Canadians with Sarah Husain, HR Business Partner with Coca Cola and Roger Hur, Manager with International Credential Evaluation Services at BC Institute of Technology.

WEBINAR – Maximizing your Return on Inclusion: Onboarding Refugees

On November 16, 2016, IEC-BC hosted “Maximizing your Return on Inclusion: Onboarding Refugees,” featuring speaker Christian Codrington, Forum HCM, and moderated by IEC-BC’s Natalia Angheli-Zaicenco.

How to Assess and Select the Best Immigrant Talent

In this video, created in partnership with BC HRMA, you will learn how to assess and select the best immigrant talent.

How to Create Effective and Inclusive Job Descriptions

In this video, created in partnership with BC HRMA, you will learn how to create effective and inclusive job descriptions.

How to Effectively Create a Welcoming Workplace and Successfully Integrate New Employees

In this video, created in partnership with BC HRMA, you will how to effectively create a welcoming workplace and successfully integrate new employees.

How to Source Qualified Immigrant Talent

In this video, created in partnership with BC HRMA, you will learn how to source qualified immigrant talent.

Why Hiring Immigrant Talent is Good for Business

In this video, created in partnership with BC HRMA, you will learn why hiring immigrant talent is good for business.

IEC-BC Webinars

IEC-BC regularly offers free webinars to provide additional learning opportunities to employers and boost their capacity to find, hire and retain skilled immigrant talent.

Integrating and Retaining International Trained Workers

Watch this video to learn what it takes to integrate and retain internationally trained workers provided by Canadian Foundation for Economic Education – Potential to Prosperity

How to Prepare for a Diverse Workforce

Watch this video to learn what preparations are needed to create diversity in the workplace provided by Canadian Foundation for Economic Education – Potential to Prosperity

How to Create a Culturally Inclusive Work Environment

This tip sheet offers strategies to help seamlessly integrate new immigrants into your organization, foster a stronger corporate culture, reduce turnover, and tap into a new world of ideas.

A Manager’s Guide to Reasonable Accommodation

“In the employment context, reasonable accommodation refers to the steps an employer must take to modify employment requirements, rules or policies that would otherwise be considered to be discriminatory under the Code.

Assessing and Selecting of International Trained Workers

Watch this video to learn how to assess and select international trained workers provided by Canadian Foundation for Economic Education – Potential to Prosperity

How to Assess Skills and Negotiate Competencies

In this  tip sheet we provide you with some ideas on how to assess experience, skills and competencies of skilled immigrants easily and effectively.

Diversity at Work Toolkit

Find lots of great tips and advice on what to do and look for when finding immigrant talent from WorkBC’s toolkit  “Booklet 4 – Diversity at Work – Recruiting and Retaining Immigrants”.

Mastering the Job Interview Process

The Surrey Board of Trade’s HR Solutions for Immigrant Talent Series has created this  toolkit for Mastering the Job Interview Process.

Hiring and Retaining Skilled Immigrants: A Cultural Competence Toolkit – Screening Applications

The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia and Yukon (CPHR BC & Yukon) provides a useful, printable toolkit called Hiring and Retaining Skilled Immigrants: A Cultural Competence Toolkit which includes a   tips on Screening Applications.

Hiring Assessment Toolkit – Employer Guide for Hiring New Canadians and Immigrants Occupation: Underground Miner

This  Employer Guide Toolkit is one of two, designed for employers in the Mining and Oil & Gas sectors.

Recruitment: Finding International Trained Workers Potential to Prosperity

From the Canadian Foundation for Economic’s Potential to Prosperity, watch their educational video “Recruitment: Finding Internationally Trained Workers”.

Finding Pre-Screened Immigrant Talent

SkillsInternational.ca is an online tool that features pre-screened, internationally educated professionals who have the skills you need.

Immigrant-Friendly Businesses: Effective Practices for Attracting, Integrating, and Retaining Immigrants in Canadian Workplaces

This report looks at how businesses across Canada can attract, integrate, and retain immigrants and international talent.

Hiring and Retaining Skilled Immigrants: A Cultural Competence Toolkit – Screening Tool

The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia& Yukon (formerly HRMA) provides a useful, printable toolkit called Hiring and Retaining Skilled Immigrants: A Cultural Competence Toolkit which includes a Screening Tool.

Government Streams for Hiring Foreign Workers

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC ) manages Canadian immigration programs, including these six programs for foreign workers seeking to come to Canada to live and work.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Changes

The Temporary Foreign Workers Program is: Administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) now required, replacing Labour Market Opinion LMIA application should include: number of Canadians who applied for the job number of Canadians interviewed and why those were not hired confirmation that no Canadians will be laid-off or […]

Tips on Finding Immigrant Talent

This Tip Sheet on Finding Immigrant Talent provides ideas, skills and resources to attract and recruit immigrant talent.

Tools for Providing Support

By using the following strategies to support your new staff member, you can help her or him integrate and get up to speed as quickly as possible.

Improve English Skills

You’ve secured your immigrant talent; now how do you make the most of your new hire?

Tips on Hiring Immigrant Talent

Now that you’ve found your immigrant candidates, how do you easily assess their resumes? Interview them? Check their references? Offer them the job?

Tips for Screening Resumes

Below are tips on screening resumes that will help in the assessment of new immigrant applications.

Assessing Professional Credentials

Why review professional credentials?

Assessing Language Proficiency

Why test language proficiency?

Assessing International Experience

Why assess international experience?

Assessing Academic Credentials

Why assess academic credential equivalency?

Organizations That Can Help

Many organizations in your community work with immigrants to ensure they are job ready.

Assessing Resumes of New Canadians

Resumes come in all shapes and sizes, and with all sorts of different content expectations depending on what positions your candidate has held, what industries they’ve worked in, and what countries they’ve gained their experience in.

How to Conduct Culturally-Savvy Interviews

Communication Use immigrant-friendly language and allow for differences in communication styles.

Places to Advertise Job Openings

The following are places employers can advertise job openings.  Wherever you decide to post, be sure to keep the language simple (avoid jargon) and make the posting as welcoming to new immigrants as possible.

Creating Barrier-Free Job Descriptions

Update job descriptions Use barrier-free job descriptions to attract top immigrant talent.

Making mentorship work at Telus – A conversation with Cindy LaPorte

TELUS is Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with more than 43,000 employees.

Mentoring helps new Canadian land prime job

When Olga Metelscaia emigrated from Eastern Europe she fully expected to find work as an engineer.

WEBINAR – Unlocking Employment Barriers to Leverage Global Talent

On June 29, 2016, IEC-BC hosted a webinar with Uzma Shakir, Director, Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Division, with the City of Toronto, and Christian Codrington, Principal at FORUM HCM in Vancouver.

What is the cost of not hiring global talent?

Build the business case for inclusion and recognize the return on investing in immigrant talent – these are just some of the recommendations from IEC-BC’s  2016 Employer Forum report, which was released on April 18.

WEBINAR – Leadership Development through Mentoring

On June 2, 2015, IEC-BC hosted a webinar, Leadership Development through Mentoring.