Employers Guide to Hiring & Retaining Foreign-Born Workers

Recommendations for Creating a Welcoming Workplace Culture 

1. Celebrate cultural diversity, offering inclusive signage and materials, and promoting equity from day one.

2. Introduce stay interviews: Conduct candid conversations about an employee’s current reality and, include specific questions about their experience as a foreign-born worker and any unique challenges they may face in order to understand what makes them want to stay at the company, identify areas for improvement, and foster loyalty.

3. Spend more time with new hires: Dedicate more time to new employees during their onboarding process, providing extra support and resources for foreign-born workers who may be navigating a new culture and work environment.

4. Plan out the first 6 weeks for new hires: Create a structured plan for the initial weeks of a new employee's tenure, incorporating specific modules or support systems tailored to the needs of foreign-born workers, such as language assistance or cultural orientation.

5. Discuss advancement upfront: Discuss career advancement opportunities with new hires early in their employment, clearly explaining career paths and expectations in a way that is culturally sensitive and easy for foreign-born workers to understand.

6. Introduce new hires to key people: Ensure new employees meet important colleagues, including upper management, specifically connecting foreign-born workers with buddies who can help them acclimate to the workplace and local culture.

7. Set up onboarding checklists with checkpoints: Create checklists with milestones for Day 1, Week 1, Month 1, and Quarter 1, including specific checkpoints to address the unique needs and potential challenges of foreign-born workers during their initial months.

8. Implement trauma-informed policies and practices: These approaches can prevent harm, build resilience, and promote healing, engagement, and empowerment, ultimately increasing safety, health, well-being, productivity, and commitment to the organization, while also being mindful of potential past traumas or challenges foreign-born workers may have experienced.

Orientation & Training Adjustments
Use visual aids, slower-paced delivery, and hands-on learning where possible. 

1. Pre-orientation and orientation in employee’s preferred language: Conduct sessions in the employee's preferred language to ensure full comprehension of company policies, benefits, and workplace norms.

2. Cross-functional support from mentors: Pair new foreign-born employees with existing staff members who can provide guidance and support in acclimating to the workplace and culture.

3. Key document translation: Translate important benefits, training, and safety documents into multiple languages to ensure all employees have access to critical information.

4. On-demand phone interpretation support: Provide readily available phone interpretation services for immediate communication needs where allowable.

5. "Pre-orientation" focusing on benefits and healthcare: Offer a separate session specifically designed to explain U.S. healthcare and insurance systems, allowing new employees to process complex information and ask questions before the general orientation.

Benefits of Assigning Mentors or Workplace Ambassadors
Pair new hires with peer mentors to foster connection, answer questions, and build trust.

1. Bridge the gap between skills and job opportunities: Mentoring programs can help foreign-born workers align their existing skills and experiences with available job opportunities in their new country.

2. Expand their network: Mentors can introduce foreign-born workers to key people and help them build valuable professional networks.

3. Gain insights into U.S. workplace culture and industry trends: Mentors can provide guidance on navigating a new cultural and professional environment, including understanding workplace norms and industry specifics.

4. Achieve career goals: Through personalized support and guidance, mentors can help foreign-born workers set and achieve their career aspirations.

5. Boost confidence: Mentoring has been shown to significantly increase the confidence of participants, empowering foreign-born workers to believe in their experience and skills.

6. Improve communication and language skills: In virtual mentoring settings, the emphasis on written communication can help strengthen an employee's ability to write in a foreign language.

Providing Language & Communication Support
Offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, multi-lingual signage, and encourage the use of translation tools or services when appropriate. 

1. Be aware that using jargon and colloquialisms might lead to misunderstandings e.g. fixing to leave, pass away, what's up, etc.

2. Provide cultural orientation to the new employee and to the established workforce at the company.

3. Greetings: Keep in mind that cultural norms differ when it comes to physical and eye contact.

4. Use inclusive language: Asian vs. Oriental, Undocumented Immigrant vs. Illegal Immigrant. etc.

5. Post notices in the language of the employees. Ideally, in English and the other language side by side.

6. Train supervisors and staff by providing classes to learn basic vocabulary in another language.