Imagine yourself having to learn everything from scratch in a new environment. You’re in a new environment where you may not know the language or it’s not your first language.
This is the sad reality for many people forced to flee their home and seek asylum abroad.
After fleeing conflict, climate catastrophe, or persecution, refugees, who number more than 480,000 in the UK often have to rebuild their entire lives. The most important factor in integrating refugees is to get a job. Unfortunately, many people with refugee status face numerous barriers.
They may not be recognised for their qualifications, have missing documentation or face difficulties in housing or opening a bank or credit card.
The unemployment rate of refugees in the UK is four times higher than the national average.
Start over
We hear a lot about the difficulties refugees have in rebuilding their lives after arriving in the UK. Lina spent many years as a nurse working in Ukraine. However, when she tried to find similar work in the UK, she was continually rejected. Each rejection eroded her self-esteem, and she felt as if the life that she had built prior to displacement was gone.
Mukhtar, a civil engineering graduate from Afghanistan, had worked for a decade in Afghanistan overseeing large-scale projects which shaped the cities. However, his qualifications were not recognised in the UK and he spent the first two of his time here working in a warehouse. He wanted to solve complex problems that would have a positive impact on the cities of his new home.
Lina and Mukhtar, with the help of HR professionals, were able overcome barriers and pursue nursing and engineering careers.
Why hiring refugees is beneficial to your business
Refugees may not be the first people you think of when looking for talent, but they have many skills and knowledge that are in demand by UK organizations. According to research by the Commission on the Integration of Refugees, a third of UK refugees have bachelor’s degrees or higher and a quarter hold master’s degrees or higher.
Employing refugees has many other benefits for organisations, such as high retention rate (especially when they are supported to integrate them into the organization) and high employee engagement levels, which leads to increased productivity. Refugees are often equipped with important skills such as adaptability, resilience, and cross-cultural awareness, which can enhance teams and encourage innovation.
Pret A Manger is one organisation that has experienced this first-hand. They are featured in our CIPD trust guide to hiring refugee. The Pret Foundation’s Rising Stars program, established in 2008, was expanded to include refugee workers. In 2022, it launched an employment programme for Ukrainians.
In fact, over half of the Ukrainians hired by Pret are still working there and many have been promoted. Pret has benefited from the loyalty and resilience of refugees, who have contributed significantly to its work culture.
Supporting refugees can show your company’s social responsibility and commitment to creating inclusive, equitable opportunities. This is good for your employees, as well as your bottom line. It will also enhance your reputation with stakeholders, clients and consumers who are interested in ethical business practices.
What you should know about hiring refugees
Consider how you can make your recruitment process more accessible, particularly for those who do not speak English as a first language. It is important to avoid jargon and use simple terms in your job ads. You can also explicitly state that refugees are welcome, if necessary.
It can be intimidating to apply for a new job, especially if you are a foreigner in the UK. By offering skills-based assessments, you can help refugees demonstrate their abilities rather than relying solely on verbal or written interviews. It’s also a great idea to educate hiring managers about some of the difficulties refugees face when applying for a job.
It can be difficult to settle into a new job. Therefore, ongoing support is important beyond the stages of recruitment and induction. Refugees are often psychologically fragile, as they have experienced traumatic, complex or difficult experiences. It doesn’t necessarily mean they will be absent or less productive at work, but that they might need additional support, such as a mentor, a buddy or extra training. There are also many differences in the experiences of refugees, so support should be tailored according to their needs.
Meaningful Change
When hiring refugees there are certain legal considerations, such as whether the individual has refugee or settled status in the UK. Before hiring a foreigner who has not settled or pre-settled in the UK, you should consult Home Office guidelines.
As part of our work supporting refugees into employment, we have developed the a href=”https://cipdtrust.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/supporting-refugees to succeed in work/” rel=”noreferrer noopener” target=”_blank”>Rebuilding Futures programme/a>, which matches HR professionals with people who are refugees, and provides specialist mentoring and employment support. As part of the work we do to support refugees into employment, Rebuilding Futures pairs expert HR professionals with individuals with refugee status in order to provide specialist mentorship and employment assistance.
You can not only hire refugees to benefit your business but also to help create positive change by giving someone a chance to thrive.
