Why hiring refugees is good for business

Europe is facing the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recorded that 5.7 million Ukrainians, primarily women and children, have been forcibly displaced from their homes.

They’ve been flooding out of the warzone, and into neighboring countries like Poland, Hungary, and Czechia, as well as further afield in the likes of the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Of course, it is important to remember that Europe is not just grappling with refugees from Ukraine. Of the 8 billion global population, 35 million are classed as refugees – 52% of this total come from just three countries: Ukraine, of course, and then Syria (6.8 million) and Afghanistan (5.7 million).

While governments have worked hard to militarily and financially support Ukraine in its campaign against Russia, they have been slow to respond to the refugee crisis.

In light of this division and delay, the business community has stepped up to try and fill the gap.

For some this is an act of philanthropy, but for others it is part of a wider realization that there are tangible benefits of hiring and training refugees (particularly amid the extreme skills and talent shortages employers are facing).

However, it can be hard to know where to start, and what actions will have the greatest impact. This is where organizations like the Refugee Council and The Tent Partnership for Refugees come in.

UNLEASH sat down with Noni Rossini, VP for Europe at Tent, to find out more about the organization (and its work with employers around refugee hiring and training).

We also, very importantly, dug into that business case for why employers should hire refugees into their organization. HR leaders, here’s how to make the case to your C-Suite.

Allie Nawrat: Can you give me a brief background into Tent? How do you work with and support employers with employing and training refugees at scale? 

Noni Rossini: The Tent Partnership for Refugees is a network of over 300 major companies around the world committed to economically integrating refugees through hiring, training, and mentorship.

Launched in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of multibillion dollar food company Chobani, Tent mobilizes businesses to connect refugees to work; one of the most important milestones for a refugee to successfully integrate in their new communities.

Tent supports and advises member companies through a variety of services including tailored guidance, access to a library of ‘how to’ resources and best practices, training for HR teams, connections to best-in-class local NGOs, and more.

Tent’s members span a variety of industries – from retail and consumer goods to hospitality and financial services – and include major businesses such as Amazon, L’Oréal, ManpowerGroup, and Pfizer.

AN: What are the main barriers and challenges that refugees face during a job search? How does Tent support refugees, and employers, to overcome these challenges?

NR: Refugees often face a number of barriers when looking for a job, including limited local language proficiency, minimal understanding of the local job market, lack of professional networks, and limited digital skills.

In addition, companies can also unintentionally discard refugees’ CVs during their traditional recruitment processes as a result of gaps in CVs or out of date skills, for instance.

To address these challenges, Tent guides its companies in setting up inclusive recruitment and talent pipeline processes – ranging from working more closely with local non-governmental organizations, to participating in refugee job fairs, as well as establishing new processes, such as incorporating ‘blind’ resumes and skill-based hiring tests.

AN: Why is hiring refugees not just the right thing to do, but the sensible thing? What are the business benefits? How can hiring refugees improve wider customer and employee experiences?

NR: Hiring refugees, particularly at a time of severe labor shortages, is a  “win-win-win” for companies, refugees, and the whole of society.

Tent’s proprietary research points to all-round benefits across consumer perceptions and sales, attracting potential employees, and employee retention:

• In our 2023 pan-European research report, How Hiring Refugees Helps Brands, 51% of the more than 5,600 consumers surveyed across all political views and ages in Europe indicated they are more likely to purchase from brands that hire refugees. Only 12% said that they were less likely to buy, showing four times as many consumers support rather than oppose brands taking this action.
• Last year, Tent released a study of 100 large and mid-sized companies in Germany that have hired refugees: 68% of companies surveyed said hiring refugees contributed to increased employee engagement.
• In 2018, a study that Tent conducted in collaboration with the Fiscal Policy Institute in the United States, showed that hiring refugees had a positive impact on companies’ retention rates:  73% of companies surveyed reported higher retention rates for refugees compared to other employees.

AN: What must employees do to ease refugees’ entry and long-term success in the workforce? What types of support do refugees need at work? 

NR: Hiring refugees is a win-win, but recruitment as usual isn’t enough to successfully hire and integrate refugees into a company’s workforce.

It takes some upfront investment and intention for the companies leading that charge, there are tremendous long-term benefits.

Language support and transport are just some of the key areas that Tent advises companies to develop provisions around to support refugee hires.

Regarding language support specifically, refugees often learn the local language quickest on the job: we work with companies to help them adapt their recruitment processes and understand that not all jobs require the level of language proficiency they usually expect of candidates.

Transport is also often an issue for refugee employees, given that many won’t have local drivers’ licenses or cars when they first arrive in a new country, and many will be unfamiliar with public transportation systems.

Providing car-sharing, shuttle buses, or  supporting refugees with understanding local public transport and public transport subsidies can ensure that a refugee employee’s ability to work is not limited by distance or inability to secure a local driver’s license.

AN: What are some standout employers who have always been doing great work around refugees and the workplace?

NR: There are so many great examples to choose from, but Tent member company Marriott has gone above and beyond to hire hundreds of refugees from Ukraine across Europe since the beginning of the war and adapt their processes to ensure they are fully integrated into their workforce.

Another great example is the Deutsche Post DHL group, which has trained and hired around 20,000 refugees since 2015 in Germany.

In June 2023, on the eve of World Refugee Day, Tent held its first European Business Summit in Paris.

We brought together more than 40 major companies with operations in Europe, including Accenture, Adecco, Amazon, Generali, ISS, and Microsoft to make measurable, forward-looking commitments to provide jobs and training to over 250,000 Ukrainian refugee women and other refugees.

Noni Rossini, VP for Europe, speaking at Tent’s European Busines Summit.

AN: Given the political climate around refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and beyond, what advice would you give to employers who are unsure where and how to proceed?

NR: Governments come and go, policies change, but what will unfortunately never change is people having to flee their countries because of war or persecution.

What most people agree on, irrespective of their political views, is that it is better for refugees who are already in the country to get a job, so they can provide for themselves and their families, pay taxes, contribute to their communities, and better integrate into society.

Today, across Europe, far too many refugees are still unemployed, despite being ready to work and having so much talent and skills to bring to local economies.

Employers have such an important role to play in evening out the playing field, and ensuring refugees stand a fair chance of being considered for a job.

Tent is here to help companies, free of charge – and we urge companies to get in touch if they would like to find out more!