Employment helps refugees to integrate, which means rebuild their lives and contribute to the development of society and the economy.

Employment plays a crucial role in the social integration of migrants, helping them build new connections and earn a living. Hiring employees of different nationalities, including refugees, has a positive impact not only on society but also on business and the economy as a whole. Despite this, a large number of refugees are left without work, depriving them of the opportunity to take the necessary first steps to immerse themselves in the culture and learn the language of the new country.

According to different studies, the language barrier is the most important obstacle to the employment of refugees. Work can help you learn the language, but for true cultural integration, you need to create personal connections.

Diversity pays off

Teams that are highly rated for their commitment to diversity and inclusion are more effective in both reported teamwork (+ 57% and employee retention (+ 19%)) and are more likely to expand their number of customers in the existing market (+ 45%) and successfully launch a new one (+ 70%).

Existing employees benefit too. After joining an internship program, new professionals begin to take part in social life after work.

Integration barriers

However, hiring people from a less supportive environment alone is not enough if there is no understanding of their unique experiences and personal circumstances.

A lot of  support programs have had to deal with the same challenges, albeit on a smaller scale, that most global initiatives to promote diversity face. Many companies still have a difficult time recruiting representatives of different social groups.

According to the Pew Research Center, 73% of refugees who applied for asylum in 2015 were men. This means that women may feel even more isolated in a new country. When EY noticed that it was receiving very few applications from refugee women, a plan was drawn up to recruit them for the internship program.

The relevance of sustainable diversity

The presence of representatives of different nationalities and social groups in the team helps to generate ideas and approaches that are important for innovative development, and thanks to different perspectives, such teams can notice in time the opening opportunities in the context of global changes.

Finding people with specific skills and experience is no longer relevant today because we are dealing with constant change, now it is much more important to find people who are creative in solving problems and who know how to be flexible and adaptive in practice.

We need to rethink traditional sources of recruiting. Those who were able to overcome all barriers associated with adversity, making a firm decision to learn new skills, earn a reputation and gain practical experience, can certainly become a valuable asset for the company.

People who come from less supportive environments often already know what flexibility is and are able to adapt.

The refugee crisis is one of the most pressing problems today.