Chris Chancey: The Challenges & Benefits of Hiring Refugees

We are in a negative unemployment market and there are just not enough workers on the open job market. The solution might be taking a different avenue... Hiring Refugees.

There is great value to expanding beyond your scope of the limited talent pool into unfamiliar waters. Consider people who are motivated, engaged and reliable to elevate company performance. 

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

 Today’s Quote:

"We must find a way to balance our tradition as a state welcoming of refugees while ensuring the safety and security of our citizens." Bruce Rauner - Former Governor of Illinois

Guest Bio: 

Amplio Recruiting is a staffing agency placing refugees into jobs across the US. Chris Chancey launched Amplio in 2014 after moving into a refugee community outside of Atlanta, GA and now leads a team that has placed over 5000 refugees from 40 different countries into full-time employment at over 300 US companies.

As a social entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author of Refugee Workforce, a book articulating the economic impact of refugees in America, Chris believes in leveraging business to create greater stability for the 70M displaced people around the globe.

Show Highlights: 

Why refugees make great hires
Dispel some of the beliefs
Provide a How-to guide to locate and hire

Why is this a good pool of talent?

Legal to work
High retention (80% @ 3 months & 70% after 1 year)
Drug-free- zero
Increase of productivity - high growth mindset
Company's reporting back double quota

Mostly Congo, Burma, middle east

What does a  company need to know about hiring refugees?

Language barrier
They learn English faster when they have a job
Software to help train

Transportation
Rely on public trans
Mostly blue-collar

Only 10-20% have advanced skills
Cultural Awareness
Diversity welcome

How does a company tap into the Refugee pool?

First, open the culture to diversity thinking
Are safety and other relevant signs posted in the native languages of employees to assure a full understanding of a safe environment?
Do you have an intra-company multicultural calendar to avoid scheduling important events or meetings on major cultural holidays?
In the onboarding process, are materials offered in both English and the employee’s native language?
Are meet-and-greets, building tours, team lunches, and other activities in place to ease the new employee into a comfortable atmosphere?
Are training materials or presentations reviewed before introducing them to employees of different cultures to see if anything needs to be modified or explained in a different way?

Top-down approach
Promote inclusivity: the focus is not diversity, the focus is inclusivity
Specific examples: 

Systems in place to accommodate onboarding:
Slow onboarding time: What you would typically cover in two days, with a traditional employee, spread it out over a week or so. It’s better to over-communicate on the front-end than have to make amends for lost time, resources and relationships on the back-end.
Don’t leave anything to chance: Communicate, communicate, communicate. Be direct with instruction and don’t assume the other person immediately understands. Overstate tasks and ask questions to assess comprehension. Avoid demeaning tones and be patient with questions, and don’t assume employees understand even the most basic cultural norms.

Second, search “refugee organizations near me” on google to connect with local non-profit refugee agencies. They will be willing to educate you on the community and can invite you to local community events. If you share a job description with them, they can help refer to potential candidates. 

Key Takeaways:

Recognize the value of refugee community (buy the book)
Connect with your local refugee community
Consider ways you can employ refugees at your company