Opening Doors, A Perspective On Improving the Employment Prospects For Newcomers

1. Opening Doors, A Perspective On Improving the Employment Prospects For Newcomers Bonni Titgemeyer CEBS, SPHR, CHRP, CMS Managing Director The Employers’ Choice Inc.

2. Agenda • The story I tell with pride. . . • Lessons and tips for newcomers and those who help them. • Observations regarding employment practices. • Tips for employers.

3. Why I chose to do this particular presentation. . . • As the Program Coordinator at Sheridan, I connect with many newcomers, who must go through the system even if they are experienced professionals. • As a Past President of the Peel Chapter of the HRPAO, I see so many professionals who struggle with breaking into the field. • I see the lost opportunities they have for utilizing the best of their experience in transitioning to the Canadian environment. • Hungry for the opportunity to share.

4. It Takes a Village All in this room know that it takes all the parties working together to improve the employment prospects for newcomers • The Community • Newcomers • Educational system • Employers

5. Opening Doors—Tips for Newcomers and Those Who Help Them (A Company Human Resources Perspective)

6. Tips For Newcomers • Be yourself. • Don’t over-rely on job boards and electronic searches. The job market is hidden. • Broad searches backfire. Aiming at one thing has a better chance of success than aiming at everything and hoping you hit something.

7. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • It is a global economy. Use your existing assets wherever you can. • Pride shows confidence. • A Spanish-speaking student who was aiming for an HR Manager position was noticed when he successfully helped to fill a hard-to-fill technology position from a Spanish-speaking country in Latin America. • Another student was hired because he spoke the language of the majority in the manufacturing facility, thereby bridging a management gap.

8. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • If you struggle with English, do something about it. • The cruel reality is that no matter how great your experience is, employers still select on the basis of communication skills.

9. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • Learn to network. • Make the investment in a related association. • Attend industry gatherings. • Focus on making friends and not getting a job. • Understand that networking involves an exchange. • You have to do a favour to be able to ask for a favour. • Giving to others comes back in spades.

10. What Are Your Successes That You Can Share? • How has networking helped you? • What are your own lessons?

11. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • Take advantage of mentoring programs. • Example, in the HR field most chapters have mentoring programs. • Become a Big Brother or Sister, and meet and network with others who may be able to help you. • 10 seconds, that’s all you get. Don’t overload your resume. Keep it clean. Have someone proofread it. Get professional help.

12. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • Prepare for interviews. • Understand how behaviour-based interviewing works. • Past experience predicts capability. • Tell me about a time when. . . • Practice the most-often used questions.

13. Sample Questions—Could You Do It? • Give me an example of a time when you were able to communicate successfully with another person, even when that individual may not have personally liked you. • Tell me about a time when it was critical that you had to get a point across. What was the issue, how did you convey it, and what was the result?

14. Sample Questions—Could You Do It? • Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem; then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision.

15. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • DO NOT make a phone call to a prospective employer just to ask “Did you receive my resume?” • Understand that the problem of under-employment of newcomers is recognized and that there are people out there doing something about it. Help them to help you. • Rejection means that you are doing something and every no is a step closer to yes.

16. Tips for Newcomers (continued) • Understand the hiring process. • Do your homework. Find out about the industry, the company’s structure and decision-making process, the responsibilities. • Read the website, research. • Understand the pay market • www.salaryexpert.com • www.monster.ca • In all likelihood, it will take 2-3 interviews and potentially employment testing to get the job. • Reputable employers use written offers. • Ok to review before signing back. • Ok to propose changes.

17. Observations Regarding Employers and Employment Practices

18. Observations • HR is limited in employers with less than 100 employees. • The lack of sophistication regarding the handling of immigrant information is a deterrent to hiring newcomers.

19. Observations • Employers overuse/improperly use behaviour-based interviewing. • Experience vs. attitude • Are you capturing transferable skills?

20. Observations (continued) • Sometimes, you can’t be flexible. • Newcomers have adjustment issues, and it is perceived that they need more time off than the average worker. • Smaller employers in a tight market may take the risk to higher a newcomer, but may not be able to offer flexibility.

21. What Can NCON Agencies Do to Help Employers?

22. Tips for Employers

23. Tips for Employers • Think of diversity as an integrated part of organizational strategy. • Not on the shelf. • Not as pictures on the wall. • But as a regular part of your strategic plan. • An element of training and development. • As a means to bridging gaps. • As part of how the business grows.

24. Other Tips to Improve the Experience of Newcomers and the Rest of Your Team • Plain language policies. • Job descriptions. • Invest in orientation and team-building exercises. • Invest in ESL.

25. Questions?

26. I would love to connect with you Bonni Titgemeyer btitgemeyer@theemployerschoice.com 905-874-1035 x. 431 2 County Court Blvd., Suite 430 Brampton, ON L6W 3W8