Do you want to hire an immigrant? It’s good to know how to go about it to facilitate the reception and integration with the team. Interconnexion Laval, a program powered by the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry, can help.

The challenge of skilled labour
The Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry is stepping up its efforts to support Laval businesses in their various challenges, especially during this pandemic. Hiring qualified staff is one of these challenges. Since June 2019, Laval companies have benefited from free support for the hiring and integration of recent immigrant labour in Laval. Indeed, this is what the Interconnection Laval program offers.

CCIL professionals who operate the program offer applications with training, skills, and experience in various fields, obtained here or elsewhere. Although Interconnexion Laval advisors provide valuable support during the recruitment process, once the recruit is hired, the real adventure begins for the company and the immigrant: the reception and integration in the position.

Welcoming a new employee is an integral part of the staffing process. Also, successful integration adds to the retention factors of newly acquired staff. In-person or remotely, this step seems simple. But it remains essential, both for the person who arrives and for the team. The Interconnection Laval team offers some ideas to get there.

Planning a warm welcome and efficient integration is good practice
What could be better than to make a realistic and practical plan to welcome the employee and ensure that the person who enters the position will have every chance of quickly integrating the team?

From the start, you should inform the recruit of your integration plans. Also, make sure you tell those who will welcome him/her to their team about your plans. This step helps avoid confusion and mobilizes everyone.

What should be part of this plan?
Equipment and forms to be completed: Depending on the type of position and responsibilities, the uniform, protective equipment, technological tools (computer, telephone, tools, etc.) are among the equipment to be planned and prepared beforehand. The various administrative documents and IT details can also be taken care of before the first day to facilitate the integration process.

Training: Whether it’s on-the-job training, company history, or the inner workings of the company, it’s important to plan the right number of hours of training to better help the person understand the organization. It’s also important to review the role and expectations of the position.

Team members involved: In many organizations, the immediate supervisor is the person who welcomes the new employee and takes charge of the employee’s integration; however don’t be afraid to involve team members who will also be the recruit’s colleagues. This gesture can be seen as an important mark of respect and recognition for employees.

Regular follow-up: To ensure that the integration goes in the desired direction, it’s necessary to follow up regularly, both with the new resource and with the people involved in its integration. This way, it’ll be easy to make quick adjustments to avoid slippage.

Other ideas: There are several ways to do this portion of the endowment. Some organizations compete creatively to make this exercise enjoyable and effective. For example, it may be interesting to assign a sponsor to the new employee to address their questions or impressions at any time to a particular person. It creates trust, and this is reassuring for the recruit. The observation technique is also a good way to make people understand the work to be done. Then the roles are changed, and the observer becomes an observer to better accompany his/her new colleague in the tasks he must perform. Finally, the team should introduce the recruit to the social activities and resources available to employees.

Do I have to do something special when a newcomer is coming?
In some cases, immigrants still have much to learn about their host country and how the environment in which they integrate works. There are several differences between what they know and how they operate in Quebec. The relationship to hierarchy, time, and communication styles, for example, can have an impact on the harmonious or non-harmonious integration of the newcomer. Benevolence is de rigueur. A little more time and tolerance may be required to ensure that instructions are properly understood. It would help if you did not forget French is often the third language for these individuals; it may not be as fluid as in their mother tongue. Sometimes it’s just the meaning of expressions or words that differs.

The employer who wishes can use Interconnexion Laval to support him/her in integrating and retaining the new immigrant employee. Also, the program offers free training for employers to help them: Business Diversity Management and Intercultural Communication. Grants are available under Services Québec’s PRIIME program, which gives the employer funding to train a newly-hired immigrant or a visible minority. It is also possible to deduct a portion of the individual’s salary who trains the new hire. The CCILaval advisors have a close relationship with Services Québec’s business department to serve businesses in the Laval area more effectively. They are there to accompany you at this level and on several other support options (free or at lower costs), especially at the level of «francization» in business.

For more information, visit InterconnexionLaval.ca.