Employer Resources

Ready to hire? Looking for onboarding resources? Interested in learning more about best practices or newcomer statistics? 

View Hamilton Employer Resources below or download the PDF guide!

Hiring Immigrants and Refugees

Engaging Newcomers: Inclusive Recruitment Strategies for Nonprofit Employers

This toolkit provides practical tips on how non-profit employers can make recruitment and hiring processes inclusive, including how to create job postings, having effective recruitment processes, effectively screening and interviewing candidates.

Bias-Free Hiring and Assessment: Removing the “Canadian Experience” Barrier

This webinar is focused on how to make hiring process bias-free, with a focus on the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s policy on removing “Canadian experience” requirement. There is a discussion on assessing the qualifications and competencies of new employees and examples on how to implement effective hiring practices that discounts “Canadian experience”.

Guelph-Wellington Employers’ Guide to Hiring and Retaining Newcomers and Immigrants

The purpose of this toolkit is to offer key principles that employers can put into practice when hiring and retaining a newcomer workforce. These principles include 1) focusing on transferrable skills, 2) providing language supports in the workplace, 3) providing orientation to Canadian workplace culture, 4) promoting social integration in the workplace, 5) promoting innovative attraction and retention strategies. It also provides the case study of an employer in the Guelph-Wellington region.

Onboarding Refugees: A Toolkit for Employers

This toolkit is to assist employers to effectively recruit, hire, onboard and retain a diverse workforce that includes refugees. It includes tips on how to make the workplace welcoming for refugees, support refugees in the workplace, provide reasonable accommodations such as language supports, conduct culturally sensitive interviews, and effectively establish a buddy system.

Bias-Free Hiring and Assessment: Removing the “Canadian Experience” Barrier

This webinar is focused on how to make hiring process bias-free, with a focus on the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s policy on removing “Canadian experience” requirement. There is a discussion on assessing the qualifications and competencies of new employees and examples on how to implement effective hiring practices that discounts “Canadian experience”.

Labour Mobility: How to Guides

A resource page that includes guides and considerations for employers in 1) reviewing the displace people’s resumes, 2) scheduling interviews with displaced people, and 3) interviewing displaced candidates. This resource is more focused on employers who would like to use the TBB program to hire refugees from abroad.

Building Inclusive Workplaces

Unconscious Biases in the Workplace – infographic

Did you know employers are 50% more likely to call back
job applicants with “white sounding” names? Workplace biases exist and affect all areas of workplace including:

  • Recruitment
  • Mentoring/training opportunities
  • Performance reviews
  • Customer/client interactions
  • Services offers
  • Organizational culture
Learn more about biases affecting your workplace culture and how to begin addressing them!

Tip Sheet for Credential Recognition and Language Support

These tip sheets provide practical considerations for employers for recognizing foreign credentials, creating a welcoming workplace, promoting physical and emotional support, and providing reasonable accommodation.

Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces

This report provides tips on inclusive recruitment (including simplifying job descriptions, advertising postings, screening resumes), hiring (including revising interview questions), onboarding (including revised orientations, supports beyond first week, suggestion for a buddy program), and integrating into workforce (including mentorship and development opportunities).

Building a Corporate Ladder FOR ALL: The Case for Advancing Immigrant Talent in the Greater Toronto Area

This research study is based on a survey of 650 executives from for-profit and non-profit sectors, which identifies barriers for immigrants to make it to the top, including lack of employment commensurate to skills, lack of supports, and bias and discrimination. Good practices include leadership development and mentorship, sponsorship opportunities, EDI training, and commensurate employment.

Developing Inclusive Onboarding and Workplace Integration Practices – Leveraging Diversity Value Proposition

This webinar focuses on how to ensure that diverse staff within organizations know they are valued for their diverse experiences, feel they belong in the space, and therefore are comfortable sharing their ideas and thoughts.

Additional Resources

How to Assess Credentials & Screen New Canadians

A series of webinars on attracting, hiring and retaining immigrant talent. Some webinars are employer facing and cover topics including assessing credentials and screening candidates, and tips on onboarding refugees. 

The Employer’s Roadmap to Hiring, Retaining Internationally Trained Workers

This resource includes information about the steps in recruiting and assessing the credentials of internationally trained workers. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 specifically focus on best practices in hiring and selecting internationally trained workers, integrating and retaining them, and services to attract, hire and retain newcomers.

Hire Immigrants: IRCC’s economic immigration programs 

Canada’s flexible immigration system and innovative programs can help you attract and retain the right talent to fill labour shortages and bring new skills to boost your competitive edge.