#refugeeemployment

[thangngo]

Inclusive Recruitment - we can do better

As a refugee, Nam Van Ngo faced frequent rejections. Employers said he didn’t have sufficient English skills, he didn’t have local references and they didn’t recognise his overseas experience and qualifications. After repeated knock-backs, Nam accepted infrequent handyman jobs, but they soon dried up and eventually he gave up. The system wore him down. Yet in Vietnam, he worked every day of his adult life, his last job was in the Police service. Sadly, none of that counted to employers in Australia. Nam Van Ngo isn’t just a statistic. He’s my dad. That picture is of us. He arrived in Sydney at a similar age as I am now. Today, I still have a passion for my job and know I have so much more to give. He would have had the same attitude back then. His experience is similar to other refugees according to a newly released paper from Anti-Discrimination NSW. In addition to the barriers above, it also noted limited access to local networks and unfamiliarity with local work culture as other barriers to employment. As in my father’s example, hiring managers can make or break the career opportunities of refugees. The Inclusive Recruitment for Culturally and Racially Marginalised Groups paper identified some common biases: ◾ Affinity bias: recruiters favour candidates similar to themselves ◾ Confirmation bias: preconceived notions about cultural groups ◾ Halo effect: singular traits are used to judge overall competency ◾ Groupthink: pressure to conform to biased views of other panel members The paper identifies strategies that employers should consider that could make recruitment more inclusive: 🔎 Targeted advertising and pro-diversity statements: to attract candidates from diverse backgrounds 👩‍💻 Anonymised application process: removing identity details from applications 🏢 Flexible interviews: structured interviews aims to reduce bias, however, this could favour candidates familiar with certain communication norms. 👩‍🎓 Training to counter bias 👯 Inclusion of diverse staff in recruitment process 🎯 Affirmative recruitment: such as targets to increase underrepresented groups 💻 AI-powered recruitment: the paper notes limited research is available on impact of AI in inclusive recruitment and caution is advised The Inclusive Recruitment for Culturally and Racially Marginalised Groups paper is available here: https://lnkd.in/gdpXGzrj ❓ When applying for a job, have you faced these barriers? ❓ Employers, do you think these tips could help your recruitment process to be more inclusive? Share your thoughts with the community in the comment section.