 |
| Canadian HR Reporter March 10, 2008 By Shannon Klie |
| Top 20 firms know value of immigrants List highlights best employers for new Canadians ___________________ |
| "... that he/(she) must take himself/(herself) for better, for worse, as his/(her) portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him/(her), but through his/(her) toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him/(her) to till." - Ralph Waldo Emerson - essayist, philosopher and poet - on self-reliance. |
| http://www.hrreporter.com - Top 20 firms know value of immigrants For CAE, a Montreal-based manufacturer of pilot simulation and modelling technologies, skilled immigrants are an invaluable source of talent and expertise, according to the company's vice-president of HR and administrative services. "We do business in 80 different countries and we have employees who come from about 93 countries. That adds a lot of value to us because we can actually use them to help us understand their cultures and help us interact and do business in these countries," said Michel Lussier. The company, with 3,400 Canadian employees and 2,600 worldwide, recognizes foreign credentials and experience, with the motto of attracting the best talent wherever they're from, said Lussier. Not only does the company hire new skilled immigrants already in Canada but if it finds a qualified candidate in another country, CAE will help him get a work permit, find a home and navigate the legal system to bring over his immediate family, said Lussier. "We try to do as much as we can so when they come and join us, they're concentrated on helping us grow our company," he said. The company also has an onboarding program for new Canadians, subsidized English and French tutoring and subsidized technical and professional training. This commitment to hiring skilled immigrants and integrating them into the workforce is why the company made Mediacorp Canada's Top 20 Employers for New Canadians list. The editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers and the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council chose the Top 20 from applicants to this year's Top 100 competition. The application process included questions about hiring new Canadians such as: - how does the company recognize international credentials and work experience?; - does the company offer training to address skills gaps, such as language?; - does the company provide onboarding programs?; - do the company's recruitment efforts target new Canadians?; and - does the employer offer internships and mentorships? "Instead of viewing immigrant jobseekers as a risk, these employers have come up with ways of hiring, training and integrating internationally trained workers into the Canadian workforce," said Rachel Caballero, lead editor of the Top 20. "International credentials and experience are not considered liabilities or barriers to employment at any of these firms." Immigrants crucial to labour force growth Statistics Canada predicts immigrants will account for all of the net labour force growth by 2011. Given that demographic reality, it made sense to recognize employers that are tapping this important pool of talent with the hopes of inspiring other organizations to follow suit, said Richard Yerema, editor of Canada's Top 100 Employers. "You don't have to be in Vancouver or Toronto or even Calgary or Montreal for this to be an issue. It's actually to your advantage to make sure you have some formalized programs you can follow to attract new Canadians coming into the country who are highly qualified and highly skilled and offering great value to any organization," he said. It doesn't take a lot of extra work to hire new Canadians, but it does take a little extra patience and understanding, said Kimberley Hogan, vice-president of HR at Christie Digital Systems Canada, one of the Top 20 employers. The firm's parent company has offices around the world, including Japan, Beijing, Hungary and Singapore. As such the Kitchener, Ont.-based firm, which designs and manufactures video projection systems, is very multicultural, said Hogan. "We have a culture that is very used to interacting with people from many places and countries. We really do try to understand some of those cultural nuances," she said. Interviewers are willing to take the extra time to get the information they need from candidates who aren't used to talking about their strengths and successes, said Hogan. "We take the time to understand the cultures where these people are from and we do try to adapt how we interact with them to ensure that they're comfortable," she said. To find qualified candidates, Christie works with the New Canadian Program (NCP) in Waterloo, Ont. Developed in 1992 by the Waterloo Region District School Board and funded by Service Canada, the program helps connect newcomers with local employers. Christie, which has 400 employees in Canada, has a reciprocal relationship with NCP. Members of the firm's HR department participate in training programs for new Canadians, such as mock interviews, and the NCP calls Christie when it finds a new candidate with the right mix of skills. "They'll go the extra mile to make the introduction," said Hogan, whose firm also offers on-site English-language tutoring for employees who might need a little extra help. ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ TheStar.com http://www.thestar.com/specialsections/top50/article/304999 BEST EMPLOYERS FOR NEW CANADIANS The Top 20 Best employers for New Canadians Canadian companies face skills shortages and some are finding innovative ways to employ newcomer to help fill the gap. Read our special section for select profiles and the full top 20 list. Feb 21, 2008 04:30 AM Best Employers for New Canadians is a new national awards competition conducted by Mediacorp Canada, editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, in partnership with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council. The award recognizes employers who offer leading programs to assist new Canadians in making the transition to a new workplace, and a new life in Canada. Here is an alphabetical list of the Top 20: ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING GROUP LTD. Edmonton (Alberta) ae.ca Employee-owned consulting engineering firm with services in water supply and treatment, waste management and urban development Why they're tops Provides training and educational support to internationally educated employees obtaining their professional registration Practice written exams are reviewed to improve writing skills ___________________________________ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA Montreal (Quebec) bdc.ca Federal Crown corporation provides financing and consulting services for small and medium-sized businesses Why they're tops Recognizes foreign credentials and experience when screening applications ___________________________________ CAE INC. Montreal (Saint-Laurent, Quebec) cae.com CAE Inc. is a manufacturer of flight simulation systems for civil aviation companies and defence departments in more than 100 countries. Why they're tops Recognizes foreign degrees on par with Canadian degrees Pays course fees for employees looking to improve their skills or obtain Canadian equivalency ___________________________________ CHRISTIE DIGITAL SYSTEMS CANADA INC. Waterloo, Ont. (Kitchener, Ontario) christiedigital.com Designs, manufactures and markets advanced video projection systems Why they're tops Revised interview process to accommodate cultures that have difficulty talking about their strengths Hired immigrant employees through the New Canadian Program careers website ___________________________________ CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) Toronto (Ontario) cibc.com CIBC offers a range of financial products and services Why it's tops Integrated Skills International, an online resumé database of international professionals, into its recruitment Created a Newcomers to Canada Internet portal on its careers website, which provides information on foreign credential assessment ___________________________________ ENBRIDGE INC. Calgary (Alberta) enbridge.com A natural gas distributor, operating pipelines and energy services Why it's tops Hired former CareerBridge interns to senior-level positions Evaluates international credentials and education Internal mentorship program for new Canadian employees Provides an on-site multifaith room ___________________________________ ERNST & YOUNG LLP Toronto (Ontario) ey.com/ca A professional services firm that provides audit, advisory, tax, corporate finance and other services Why it's tops Screens candidates on technical skills prior to interview to eliminate cultural barriers Provides inclusiveness training workshops to recruiters Provides an in-house CA reciprocity exam ___________________________________ ISLAND HEARING SERVICES Victoria, B.C (British Columbia). islandhearing.com Independent network of certified audiologists and hearing instrument specialists, with more than 40 clinics throughout British Columbia Why they're tops Pays the licensing fees for new Canadians seeking to gain certification Provides supplementary training to help new Canadians achieve Canadian equivalency ___________________________________ KEANE CANADA INC. Halifax (Nova Scotia) keane.com Provides software development and information technology consulting services Why it's tops Recognizes international education and work experience Through local agencies, provides an English-in-the -workplace program Manages an employee buddy program to help new hires adjust to life in Halifax ___________________________________ KPMG LLP Toronto (Ontario) kpmg.ca An accounting and professional services firm, providing auditing, tax and financial advisory services to businesses Why it's tops Reimburses the cost of CA equivalency courses or assessments for new Canadian employees Operates a training pilot program on how to manage a culturally diverse workforce ___________________________________ MDS NORDION INC. Ottawa (Ontario) mds.nordion.com A global health-care company specializing in radioisotopes, sterilization systems and related technologies Why it's tops An inaugural member of the employer council of champions for Hire Immigrants Ottawa Provides intercultural training and language programs to employees ___________________________________ MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORP. Toronto (Ontario) manulife.com A Canadian-based financial services company, operating in 15 countries and territories worldwide. Why it's tops A host employer with the Career Bridge internship program since its inception in 2003 CEO wrote an open letter to the prime minister in 2004 stressing the need for Canada to better integrate skilled immigrants into the workforce ___________________________________ PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE Vancouver (British Columbia) providencehealthcare.org Canada's largest Catholic-owned health-care organization, providing services from six Vancouver facilities Why it's tops Includes international work experience when determining the starting wage rate of new Canadian employees Provides an intensive orientation and training program for internationally trained nurses Provides ESL tutoring ___________________________________ REPLICON INC. Calgary (Alberta) replicon.com Develops web-based software for the optimization of workforce productivity Why it's tops Provides six-week placements in a corporate training program to help immigrants gain experience Provides on-site testing during hiring process to evaluate practical skills in addition to considering international credentials ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL Toronto (Ontario) stmichaelshospital.com A Catholic teaching hospital affiliated with the U.of T. Why it's tops Runs in-house mentorship program Organizations interested in creating similar programs have ordered more than 2,000 copies of its mentorship guidebook. Founding member of CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses ___________________________________ TD BANK FINANCIAL GROUP Toronto (Ontario) td.com Provides financial and banking services worldwide Why it's tops Provides the largest number of relationships in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program. Actively recruits new Canadians50 per cent of trainees in management associate program are internationally trained professionals ___________________________________ TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION Toronto (Ontario) ttc.ca The TTC operates Canada's largest public transit system Why it's tops Encourages internationally trained employees to have their credentials assessed Conducts regular outreach employment presentations for community centres, programs and agencies that aid new Canadians ___________________________________ UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) usask.ca The university offers degree, diploma and certificate programs to more than 18,000 students Why it's tops Recently introduced an international medical graduate residency program to help new immigrant physicians obtain their licences in Saskatchewan ___________________________________ WARDROP ENGINEERING INC. Winnipeg (Manitoba) wardrop.com A multidisciplinary consulting engineering, environmental and information technology firm Why it's tops Helps new Canadian employees obtain their P.Eng. designation with formal technical mentoring and development programs ___________________________________ i3DVR INTERNATIONAL INC. Toronto (Ontario) i3dvr.ca Founded in 1990, i3DVR provides digital video security products Why it's tops Provides weekly on-site English language classes New Canadians make up 50 per cent of the head office workforce R&D department is entirely comprised of new Canadian employees ___________________________________ How the list was compiled A critical shortage in Canada's talent pool - fuelled by a declining birthrate and retiring boomers - has forced employers to recruit beyond our borders. Selected by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, in partnership with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), this Top 20 list of the Best Employers for New Canadians highlights which companies have done the best job. According to the criteria, these firms have established a superior track record for hiring internationally educated and trained immigrants, and ensured a smooth transition into the Canadian workplace. The finalists were selected from 200 companies representing every region of the country and key employment fields such as financial, high-tech, engineering, health care and academics. Of the 20 finalists, half are headquartered in Ontario and eight are based in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). And bigger is not always better - five companies have fewer than 500 employees. We double-checked all the applications and called back these companies to get more information, as well as contacting any agencies that they had worked with, says Rachel Caballero, assistant editor of Canada's Top 100 Employers. We think in future years winning this award will be seen as a positive recruiting tool. The criteria used to compile the top 20 included: Credentials: How did companies check immigrants' overseas credentials and education? Training: Did companies offer any training to bridge immigrants' skill gaps (such as language, vocabulary) and did they pay them to take courses? Hiring Practices: Did companies conduct skill testing, especially in technical jobs, and were interviews conducted in the applicant's own language? Internship: Did they provide internships in mid- or senior-level positions? Were interns paid? Mentorship: Do they have a mentoring partnership with an agency such as TRIEC, helping applicants to polish their resumés and interview skills? Onboarding Programs: Do they offer any training to ease new hires into the Canadian workplace? - Paul Dalby, Special to the Star |
 |
 |