Advocating for refugees at work: the recruitment process

Why hire refugees?

Firstly, here are some reasons to consider hiring refugees. Many businesses seek talented people with the right skills, and refugees are often a great fit. Here’s why:

• Diverse skills and experiences – Refugees bring a variety of unique skills and experiences from different cultures, which can fill skill gaps and drive innovation in the workplace. Research from McKinsey & Company even found that companies with the most diverse executive teams were a third more likely than those with the least diverse teams to have above-average profitability.
• Positive workplace culture – Businesses can create development opportunities for staff such as mentoring employees from a refugee background which can boost team morale and create a sense of purpose, leading to a positive work environment. What’s more, 73% of employers interviewed by the Fiscal Policy Institute and Tent Partnership for Refugees reported higher retention for refugee employees.
• Social impact – Hiring refugees helps tackle unemployment and reduce inequalities. Companies can position themselves as role models of inclusiveness in the workplace, improving their reputation with both customers and staff. A Glassdoor survey found that three quarters of employees and job seekers consider workforce diversity to be important when evaluating companies and job offers.

Recruitment barriers for refugees

Online applications

Landing a job in the UK as a refugee can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. For the most part, companies expect online applications, but when I first arrived, reliable internet access and the correct device were things that I didn’t have access to.

Even after getting what I needed, I felt concerned about handing over my personal information in an online application without any indication of how or why my data would be used. For many refugees, this can be daunting because of the way our personal data has been used against us in the past.

Visa restrictions can add another layer of complexity, with online systems designed against explaining someone’s specific circumstances. This whole process can feel exhausting – financially, emotionally, and mentally.

Illegal discrimination

In some cases, refugees face illegal discrimination, with companies asking for British citizenship or going through the hiring process just to pull the rug out at the last minute.

For some knowledge about the right to work, have a look at the first blog in this series on employment rights.

Understanding the recruitment processes

The UK job market was a complete mystery to me – where to start, how to apply? How are different industries structured and what opportunities are there? And what do common UK job titles actually mean?

I also quickly realised that building a professional network is a big part of getting a job in the UK. This was another hurdle for me. Who to reach out to, and where?

In addition to this, because some companies assume familiarity with common UK hiring practices, I found that I needed to jump through additional hoops that I didn’t expect. In these cases, it would have been helpful to have the stages of the hiring process clearly set out to enable me to confidently make an application.

Job descriptions and cover letters

Job descriptions themselves can feel like a minefield. The common UK practice of specifying “Desirable” and “Essential” characteristics wasn’t something I was familiar with when I first arrived. And, in addition to general language barriers, I faced terminology and jargon that made it hard to understand how assessment tasks would be scored.

Then there’s the question of cover letters! In some countries, like Ukraine, these aren’t used at all. And even when refugees have written cover letters before, they’re done very differently here. In particular, I found that some businesses look for a specific writing style, language or keywords that were unfamiliar to me.

Using plain language in job descriptions and clearly outlining what is expected in a cover letter would be instrumental to overcoming these barriers.

Accounting for experience

Even once refugees gain the knowledge and confidence to apply for jobs, public misconceptions can lead to discrimination during recruitment, and the long asylum process can leave gaps in CVs that raise red flags. Not to mention the difficulty of showcasing your transferable skills when the focus seems to be solely on UK experience.

Plus, qualifications from abroad aren’t widely recognised, and converting them can mean expensive exams. Therefore, people like me with experience outside of the UK aren’t given the chance to use the valuable skills we have to settle into society.

All of this means that having a skills-based approach during the hiring process would be beneficial for refugees wanting to hone their international skills for the UK job market and for businesses who want to unlock a global talent pool.

But, despite the challenges, there is hope. Organisations like Breaking Barriers are there to guide refugees through the maze and hopefully businesses will feel enabled to do so as well.

Making recruitment more refugee-friendly

There is a wealth of talent waiting to be discovered! You don’t have to work in HR, or be on an interview panel, to create a more inclusive recruitment process. It’s as simple as starting a conversation with colleagues, or sharing the tips below. You’ll soon be on your way to making your workplace more welcoming for refugees:

• Look beyond the gaps: Don’t view gaps on CVs as a disqualifying factor. Focus on the skills and experience that someone brings to the table.
• Qualifications matter, but equivalence is key: Resources like UK ENIC can help verify overseas qualifications.
• Experience comes in all shapes and sizes: Don’t be put off by a candidate who might seem “overqualified” for a role – it’s common for refugees to look for jobs suited to their immediate needs (for example, to improve their English language ability or to gain UK work experience)
• Clear communication is key: Be transparent! Ensure all steps of the recruitment process are clearly set out using plain language and explain any acronyms. Outlining why you are asking for personal data, and how you will use it, is also helpful. This helps both people learning English and those unfamiliar with UK practices.
• Focus on potential, not just experience: Use skills-based hiring techniques that assess a candidate’s strengths and transferable skills, so you don’t rely solely on UK experience.
• On-the-job training: Evaluating skills during on-the-job training can help address non-equivalence of, or lack of familiarity with, overseas qualifications.
• Language skills can be developed: Invest in your new hires! Provide on-the-job language training and consider offering incentives for language proficiency. Bilingual colleagues can also be great mentors.
• Embrace diversity: Encourage HR teams to consider diverse hiring pools, including refugees, and provide diversity training for hiring managers.

By making these simple changes, businesses can enrich their workforce with highly motivated and skilled individuals, creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

And remember, a little understanding goes a long way!

Refugees’ experiences before arriving in the UK, and during the asylum process, may have forced them to confront physical and/or mental exhaustion. This means simply finding the confidence to apply for a job, attend an interview, or walk into the workplace on your first day is a huge victory.

I’ve met so many people of refugee background whose determination and bravery could help transform any UK business for the better. Helping to break down the barriers between these talented, resilient people and meaningful work will, of course, make a lasting difference for them. But it can also benefit companies, their colleagues, customers and their community.

So, do take a moment to think about how your workplace recruitment practices could be more refugee friendly. It could help transform your workplace, their lives, and your working life too!