Why Newcomer Inclusion is Good for Business
By Amy Montiel, World Skills Employment Centre
In this time of considerable economic and political uncertainty, businesses have a unique opportunity to think creatively about how they harness talent. Attracting and retaining the best employees have always been key to business success; however, these objectives are even more important now. If organizations want to become more innovative and resilient, they need to hire the right candidates and create workplaces where they can thrive.
One crucial, yet often-overlooked element in this equation is fostering inclusion for newcomers. In this post, I’ll explore the business case for viewing workplace inclusion through a newcomer lens and share practical strategies to turn good intentions into meaningful action.
Why Newcomers?
First, newcomers are a growing segment of the talent pool.
In 2024, over 1 in 4 members of Canada’s labour force were immigrants.[1] Also, statistics show that immigration is fueling labour market growth.[2] As this trend continues, employers could benefit from developing strategies to support newcomers’ integration into the workplace. Employers that do this well will stand out in the competition to attract and retain highly qualified newcomers.
Second, newcomers bring unique benefits to the workplace.
Newcomers possess rich international experience, deep cultural knowledge and proficiency in different languages, which can help companies become more competitive in local and global markets. Immigrants also have higher rates of university education than non-immigrants.[3] Employers that are intentional about newcomer inclusion will be better positioned to unlock the full potential of foreign-born employees.
Third, newcomers aren’t typically a focus of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Even though newcomers face distinct challenges in the workplace (e.g. language barriers, lack of information about Canadian workplace culture), employers may not consider immigrant status as a marker of diversity when they are designing DEI policies and initiatives. By adding a newcomer lens to workplace inclusion efforts, employers can target specific challenges that impact newcomers. This will help newcomer employees thrive, leading to higher employee satisfaction, productivity and retention.
Tips to Support Newcomer Inclusion
- During onboarding, ensure newcomers are provided with information about existing workplace inclusion initiatives (e.g. Employee Resource Groups, coffee chats) and the benefits of participating. Some newcomers may not be familiar with these types of activities, so it could be helpful to provide additional context and encouragement.
- Offer opportunities for experienced newcomer employees to help onboard newly hired newcomers. This can be done by connecting staff over email or by implementing a buddy system. These relationships will help support the integration of the new employee, while deepening the engagement of the experienced staff member.
- Be proactive about asking for newcomers’ feedback. Newcomers are a very diverse group, so it is important to ask newcomer employees what their needs are and how they would like to be involved in workplace inclusion efforts. These conversations can start during onboarding, but it is also helpful to have additional, organization-wide feedback mechanisms (e.g. pulse check surveys), which happen periodically.
- Implement workplace inclusion strategies based on feedback from newcomers. Some examples are acknowledging days of cultural significance, incorporating cultural considerations into event planning and organizing social events to help staff build community.
Opportunities for Support
If your organization is interested in improving newcomer inclusion, free support and resources are available through World Skills Employment Centre’s Inclusive and Equitable Workplace for Newcomers (IEWN) project, funded by Canadian Heritage. The IEWN project provides individualized support to businesses to help them identify and overcome challenges related to attracting, hiring and retaining newcomers. These services are available through June 30, 2025.
The IEWN project is also developing resources on a variety of topics, including assessing language skills, communicating organizational culture, and managing employee performance. For more information about individualized support or employer resources, contact iewn@ottawa-worldskills.org.
Finally, the IEWN project is hosting an in-person forum for business leaders, Human Resources professionals and DEI practitioners on April 24, 2025 from 4-6 pm. This event will include a panel discussion and small group conversations to discuss challenges, opportunities, and best practices related to hiring and retaining newcomers. To register for the forum, click here.
[1] Statistics Canada. Labour force characteristics of immigrants, annual.
[2] Ibid
[3] Statistics Canada (2024). The Daily – Statistics on social inclusion for ethnocultural groups in Canada: New products and selected results on the evolution of education among racialized groups, 2006 to 2021 (statcan.gc.ca)