Do we really know how to recruit foreign-born workers? Over the past few years, the issue of managing diversity has never been so heated or sensitive, from both a societal and organizational point of view. In addition, reasonable accommodation has not helped make « diversified recruiting » a habit. Diversity remains topical, however, and companies do not always know how to tackle the issue, starting from hiring.
The extent to which you are faced with this situation varies depending on your industry. In some companies, managers may have as or almost as many nationalities to manage as individuals. Such situations are common in the technology and engineering sectors, as well as increasingly in financial services and other sectors. 
The Canada of today, and even more so that of tomorrow, may not have quite the same face, accent and ultimately, maybe not even the same values. The demographics are clear and conclusive—our population will without doubt be renewed by recruiting new arrivals and incorporating immigrants in our companies. Foreign doctors working as taxi drivers will one day be a thing of the past, as will astonishment at meeting a black person in Quebec City or the Gaspé. Let’s be realistic and open, but especially, let’s prepare ourselves and train our recruiters to assess these new entrants.
Is your recruiter open to diversity? I know that the answer is yes, but has he or she travelled? What is his or her overall culture? Can he or she find a country on a map, and name its capital? When the recruiter gets a résumé from a foreign candidate, can he or she at least point to what part of the world the person is from? What is the country’s political, economic and social situation? You don’t need to have a PhD in political science or economics, but having an idea or some grasp about the person’s origins is a good idea.
Recruiting is based on a candidate’s technical skills as well as personality and values. The assessment of skills is quantifiable; even if the person’s degrees are not recognized here, his or her technical know-how can be assessed using methods and tools. This takes longer, of course, and adds an extra step, but if you get help from your managers and your contacts in schools and universities, it should be feasible. Knowledge testing, case studies, and situation simulations should give you a good idea of the person’s skill level. The major bottleneck comes from the professional associations, which may block the candidate’s admission or make it more difficult if the position for which you are recruiting requires a professional designation. That being said, I am convinced that foreign candidates can be hired if you give yourself the means.
The most difficult part lies in recruiting someone who meets our values and our management philosophy, and who, beyond his or her skillls, will be fulfilled and grow in our company. Adding diversity is a guarantee of added value. Proving it is hard enough though, even for candidates who were born and grew up here. . . so imagine a candidate hailing from Casablanca, Budapest or Shanghai!
The work of recruiters will get more complex in this regard, and soon, because of the labour crunch, it will no longer be possible to overlook such applications based on the excuse that they lack Canadian experience. We will have to invest in them, understand where they’re coming from, be prepared to conduct totally open interviews, and develop integration programs.
I still remember the case of an employment advisor who had strongly suggested that a North African candidate change his name on his résumé in order to get more interviews. Once the change was made, the person, who had not had a single call from recruiters for months, found himself overwhelmed with a week of interviews. It goes to show that changing one’s name from Mohamed to Patrick can indeed influence the judgment of the person reading the résumé.
Not so long ago, talk of diversity was limited to gender. Women fought to carve out a place for themselves and to gain credibility in the workplace. Immigrants are now gong through a similar situation. It is up to them as much as us to broaden our horizons and embrace change with open arms— for us, for them and for a society that our children will be proud of. Let’s not forget that younger generations are much more tolerant to diversity and change than we are. After the generational shock, let’s get ready for the shock of diversity!
Nathalie Francisci, Adma, CRHA
Executive Vice-president
at Mandrake Groupe Conseil