By Berta Colón
Oleskii arrived in New York from Ukraine in 2018. He spoke almost no English and needed a job. In May 2019, he secured a seat in a Level One immersive English language class at Riverside Language Program.
One day, after a class discussion on job-related words, Oleskii had a conversation with his instructor about some of the challenges he was experiencing in his job search. As the instructor learned more about his skills and work experience, she discovered that Oleksii comes from a long line of metalsmiths and studied at the prestigious Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where he concentrated in art and jewelry casting.
After learning about his distinct background, the instructor connected Oleksii to the 162-year-old architectural hardware firm P.E. Guerin, whose customers include Gracie Mansion and the White House. After participating at Riverside, Oleksii had gained enough English to engage with the foundry, and with some interview prep and guidance, he interviewed with the firm and was able to secure a job. Today, Oleksii is a skilled metalsmith at the only metal foundry in the United States that still makes architectural hardware by hand.
Unfortunately, not all talented immigrants like Oleksii are able to readily enter the job market or make use of their unique skills and experiences. Often, language serves as a significant barrier, but there are other challenges that make it difficult to leverage their talents.
Culturally Sensitive Hiring Managers
Business hiring managers are often the first point of engagement for applicants. If a hiring manager is biased against foreign sounding names or heavy accents, they are unlikely to consider an applicant favorably. Similarly, if they are not well-versed or willing to look into unfamiliar academic institutions and prior employment sites, their assumption may be that the candidate is not as well trained or at the same level of experience as those who are U.S. born. Even the willingness to be patient and open-minded with candidates who are not as fluent in English or do not follow typical U.S. cultural norms can completely change the way an immigrant candidate is evaluated.
Going Deeper than the Resume
Resumes are often the first point of contact between a job seeker and an employer but they don’t always reflect the full set of skills and experience an immigrant may have for a position. Terms of the field do not always translate or can be nuanced to a particular geographic location. Including a few very specific questions about academic backgrounds and job experience can create the opportunity for a new immigrant to share much more about the expertise and skills they developed in their home country.
Building On-Site Support
While culturally sensitive hiring managers can open opportunities for more newly arrived immigrants to get jobs, creating culturally sensitive work spaces is equally as necessary to retain those new employees and ensure that they are able to thrive in their new roles. The importance of diversity and cultural sensitivity should be a prominent priority for the organization. It is not enough to simply list it as an organizational value in personnel manuals. Provide resources and information that promote learning. And, finally, provide staff with opportunities to have open dialogues about diversities and cultural sensitivity.
To fully benefit from the talents of immigrants, employers must develop very deliberate and multi-faceted approaches to their hiring and retention programs that allow them to properly assess the skills of new immigrants and create a welcoming and supportive workplace culture once they are onboard. By taking action on these fronts, employers can develop uniquely skilled and diverse workforces that drive innovation and growth.
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