Canadian Employers Missing the Potential for Innovation and Growth from Immigrants: Deloitte

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Nov 01, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- According to a new white paper by Deloitte, Welcome to Canada. Now what? Unlocking the potential of immigrants for business growth and innovation, many Canadian employers are finding it easy to put diversity and inclusiveness into a mission statement, but difficult to put them into practice. In its second cross-country study of diversity practices called "Dialogue on diversity," Deloitte learned that the dreams of educated newcomers - people vital to our economic growth - are being eroded by unrecognized credentials, no Canadian experience, a lack of support for networking, and lingering biases in recruitment.

As one participant said, "Canada does have one of the best immigration processes globally - but there is a broken promise because we tell people that their skill-set is going to be recognized, and then they can't get a job and they end up driving taxis." Often, this is because organizations are clinging to outdated notions. For example, half of the respondents to a Public Policy Forum survey said that Canadian work experience is either a requirement for employment in their organization, or that foreign work experience is not necessarily considered equal to Canadian experience.

The lack of "fit" or acceptance was another issue raised by the white paper, which strongly suggests that companies have much to gain by broadening their thinking. "Only by taking calculated risks and being open to learning from the experiences of immigrants will Canadian companies fully capitalize on the potential for innovation and growth that comes with their hiring," says Deloitte's Chief Diversity Officer, Partner Jane Allen.

The findings in the paper echo earlier Deloitte studies on productivity and tax policy. In the Future of Productivity, facilitating the immigration of skilled workers is cited as key to improving our competitiveness. Competing for global talent notes that these individuals will also enhance government tax revenues.

The white paper argues that it's time to put the theory of diversity into action: more proactive steps must be taken to quickly enable skilled foreign-born workers to contribute to Canada's economy and achieve their own dreams. Various provinces offer programs through community organizations and government ministries - these and other initiatives provide a solid base of best practices for employers across Canada. The annual Dialogue on diversity study conducted by Deloitte serves to highlight both opportunity and progress in this critically important area.

About Deloitte

Deloitte, one of Canada's leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through more than 7,600 people in 57 offices. Deloitte operates in Quebec as Samson Belair/Deloitte & Touche s.e.n.c.r.l. Deloitte & Touche LLP, an Ontario Limited Liability Partnership, is the Canadian member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms.

Ten Ways to Make Yourself a Job Magnet

Looking for a job can be hard work. Preparing a CV so that it is clear and attractive, searching Canada Jobs listings and meeting with hiring managers takes time and concentration. Recruiters and headhunters are hired by employers to find qualified candidates to fill positions. Candidates who are referred by recruiters are often given higher priority by employers because the screening has already been done. Here are ten things that you can do to make yourself more attractive to recruiters.

1. Be employed – Fair or not, recruiters often look first for job candidates who are working. They operate on the premise that if you want something done, find a busy person. They perceive that those who have survived layoffs are less expendable than those who have been laid off. If you are currently employed but anticipate a layoff, begin your job search immediately. If you are not currently employed, consider taking a position at which you would be underemployed so that you can put “to present” on the dates of employment for your most recent position on your CV.

2. Be good at what you do – Be conscientious about your work. Ask for feedback from your superiors and coworkers about what you can do to improve the quality of your work. Strive to get along with others. It is easier to have a reputation for being good at your job if the people you work with perceive you as a nice person. This reputation will find its way to recruiters.

3. Contact the recruiters – Use an Internet search engine to find recruiting agencies that place candidates in your industry or field. They will often be grateful that you helped them eliminate several steps in filling a position. If they think you are not suitable for a position that you seek, they will most likely provide honest feedback as to why. This can give you an opportunity to take corrective measures, such as taking classes to make you more current in your field.

4. Get your name in print – Write letters to the editor or submit articles to trade publications or websites. This gives you a greater chance to be noticed by recruiters.

5. Network – Get involved in clubs or charities. This will help you to expand your interests and give you an opportunity to solve problems. It will also make you known to a wider circle of contacts. Use LinkedIn and other social media to join online discussions about your profession. You can also use LinkedIn to post online portfolios that will help recruiters better understand your qualifications.

6. Find a mentor or champion – A successful and experienced person can tell you what you need to do to advance in your career and will usually have the right connections to help you land a position. The mentor benefits from gaining a reputation for good referrals if you do well at your new position.

7. Participate in trade or professional associations – Volunteer to give a speech or presentation or serve on a panel at a conference. Even stuffing envelopes will increase the number of contacts that you have and will raise your profile so that you will be more likely to be noticed by recruiters.

8. List all of your accomplishments on your CV – It is especially important to list problems you have solved. This lets recruiters know that you were not merely putting in the time at your position, but took an interest in getting things done.

9. Be brief – Recruiters have stacks of CVs to review in a short amount of time. They will give higher priority to those that are clear and succinct. Use bullet points when possible.

10. Have recognizable firm names and position titles on a CV – If you have worked for small firms and went to an obscure school, take classes at a large university or volunteer for a well known charity. If your firm uses unusual sounding titles, consider putting a comparable title in parentheses next to the position title.

Admit the best, not most fluent

THE STARPHOENIX OCTOBER 31, 2011

 

 

With Canada counting on attracting hundreds of thousands of skilled immigrants in coming years to replace its aging workforce and maintain its productivity and prosperity, Ottawa's proposal to get tougher with testing newcomers for fluency in either English or French is anachronistic and counterproductive.

"The ability to communicate effectively in either French or English is key to the success of new citizens in Canada," Immigration Minister Jason Kenney's department website quotes him saying.

Mr. Kenney says the proposal, which requires applicants to provide objective evidence - such as a third-party test, completion of a secondary or post-secondary education in English or French, or achieving a Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4 proficiency - is meant to improve "the integrity and effectiveness of the citizenship program for Canada and for new Canadians alike."

Already, Canada requires prospective economic immigrants, who are different from those granted residency for humanitarian reasons or under the family reunification category, to prove they possess the educational qualifications and work experience that will help them become contributing members of this society.

The current legislation requires capability in one of the two official languages. However, the government feels the current assessment system, which is based on a multiplechoice written test that also tests an applicant's knowledge of Canada and citizenship responsibilities, is inconsistently administered and ill-suited to ascertain someone's listening and speaking skills.

Yet, in an era where a vast majority of those skilled persons Canada is seeking to recruit will be employed in diverse areas that range from welding and carpentry to computer programming to scientific research, medicine and engineering, the official-language fluency requirement is questionable at best.

The comprehension and communications skills required aren't uniform across these jobs and professions, and a onesize-fits-all approach simply isn't feasible. To deny a Spanish-speaking engineer from Latin America the opportunity to contribute her skills to Canada simply because of a lack of fluency in an official language is as absurd as denying a Kazakh welder entry for that reason, when they both can communicate effectively enough to do their jobs.

And that should be the determining factor: Whether these skilled newcomers can communicate effectively in their areas of expertise to get the job done. Canada needs too many of them, from wherever they are willing relocate, to impose on them restrictions that have little to do with their ability to contribute but have much to do with our reluctance to be more expansive and accommodating.

Our forebears from places such as the Ukraine weren't deterred by their inability to speak English or French as they settled the Prairies, did back-breaking labour and opened up the West. They, like the prospective immigrants who possess the skills that today's Canada needs, brought with them the drive and ambition to succeed.

What they need is the opportunity to put their skills to use, instead of being turned away on the flimsy rationale that fluency in French or English is required for the "integration of newcomers by improving language outcomes and encouraging their full participation in Canadian society," as Mr. Kenney's proposal suggests.

The editorials that appear in this space represent the opinion of The StarPhoenix. They are unsigned because they do not necessarily represent the personal views of the writers. The positions taken in the editorials are arrived at through discussion among the members of the newspaper's editorial board, which operates independently from the news departments of the paper.

© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

more:http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Admit+best+most+fluent/5631612/story.html#ixzz1cQTdD0RV

Interview: Kenney aims to reshape and rejuvenate workforce through immigration Read it on Global News: Global News | Jason Kenney aims to reshape and rejuvenate workforce through immigration

Heather Scoffield,  Sunday, October 30, 2011 2:52 PM

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Kenney has plans to reshape and rejuvenate the Canadian workforce.Step one comes this week when he announces immigration targets for next year.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

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OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has never suffered from lack of ambition and his latest goal is nothing short of reshaping and rejuvenating the Canadian workforce.

He envisions a nimble, efficient immigration machine that will help solve Canada's demographic imbalance and boost the country's competitiveness simultaneously.

Step one comes this week when he announces immigration targets for next year.

Kenney says when he is done with his multiple reforms of the system, the flow of newcomers into Canada will be predominantly young, well educated, highly skilled, and fluent in English or French.

They'll be admitted to Canada within a year of applying.

And soon after, they'll start paying taxes because they will have lined up a job prior to arrival or should be able to find one quickly once they land.

"Where we want to be in a few years time is a flexible, just-in-time . . . system where we admit people within a year of their application," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"Where people with pre-arranged job offers are given priority, because they succeed best. Where we continue to see a better geographic distribution of newcomers. And where we can more flexibly change the (acceptance) criteria based on developments in the labour market," he explained.

"That's where we want to go."

But getting there is no easy amble. His critics don't disagree with his goal, but they have qualms about how he will achieve it.

"It's like saying 'we want to have sun in January.' We all want that," NDP immigration critic Don Davies said in a telephone call from Vancouver. "He doesn't explain how. He sets the goals but he doesn't say how we'll get there."

Kenney foresees a multi-step process that will require changes to many different parts of Canada's creaky immigration machinery.

His department has already undertaken major studies of what kind of immigrant succeeds in Canada and what kind fails. Kenney has followed up with extensive consultations and polling to find out what mix of immigration the public is willing to take.

Now comes the action. Kenney is expected to table the annual report on immigration on Tuesday. As usual, it will include his decisions about how many immigrants Canada should accept in 2012, and what kind.

The report will give a range of operational targets for each type of immigrant, from foreign skilled workers to parents and grandparents.

The key number is the overall number of immigrants Canada wants to let in — and that number is clearly not going up despite pressure from the opposition.

Under the Conservative government, Canada has let in an average of 254,000 immigrants a year, which is high by historical standards.

While some immigration observers argue that Canada could solve its demographic imbalance, workplace shortages, family demands and backlog issues all at the same time by opening the doors to far more immigrants, Kenney rejects that idea.

"I don't think realistically we can increase the levels of immigration in orders of magnitude," he said.

"I think it's important for policy makers to listen to public opinion on immigration and not become disconnected from public opinion, which has arguably led to some of the problems in Western Europe."

Immigrant-related riots in a few European countries over the past three years have become the spectre of what immigration policy makers around the world aim to avoid.

Kenney understands the logic in calculations that show Canada would have to at least triple the number of immigrants it lets in every year if it wanted to bring down the average age of its population and resolve expected labour shortages over time.

But Canada can't absorb that many people, he said, nor would Canadians accept that kind of inflow. He points to polling last year done by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. It shows 47 per cent of respondents say immigration levels are just right, and 34 per cent say they are too high.

"That, in my view, is in no way a reflection of anti-immigration sentiment, because new immigrants are disproportionately likely to say that," Kenney said.

"So this is just, I think, a sense that Canadians have that there's a practical limit to how many people can be successfully settled each year. The broad political consensus in Canada is pro-immigration, but the caveat on that is to make sure that we're able to successfully integrate and employ the people who arrive."

Once the levels of immigration are decided, Kenney will be turning his attention to getting rid of the enormous backlog of potential immigrants waiting in the queue to have their applications processed. There are about one million names on the list, many of whom have been waiting for years and years for word from Ottawa.

He has suggested capping the number of applications in some areas, perhaps starting with the parents and grandparents of permanent residents. That would cut down the backlog, make for a younger inflow, and reduce Canada's costs for social services.

Then, once the numbers are under control, Kenney wants to focus on shaping the quality of the various immigration streams.

Next spring, the minister wants to re-jig the point system that allows economic immigrants to qualify. Youth and high-quality education will be worth more, and the emphasis on English or French fluency is likely to be increased. Quantity of education will matter less, the minister says.

But this isn't the first time Kenney has tried to reform the stream of economic immigrants, points out Davies.

Kenney has given three major directives over the past few years to limit applications and put certain professions at the front of the queue. The fact that he's rehashing the system yet again is a sign that his previous attempts have failed, Davies says.

It's not enough for Kenney to simply be the "Energizer bunny" when it comes to shaping Canada's future workforce and diverse population, he adds.

"I don't think he knows what he's doing. I think he should slow down."

© The Canadian Press, 2011

Read it on Global News: Global News | Jason Kenney aims to reshape and rejuvenate workforce through immigration 

Toronto: the new Dubai

TORONTO, Canada — On the short drive from his home in the inner-suburb of Etobicoke, Joe Vaccaro counts the cranes.

These days, there are 17 sprouting along his route, many alongside the lakeshore highway that has become this city’s condo alley.

Toronto is in the midst of the longest sustained housing boom in its history, a decade-and-a-half run that’s seen housing prices more than
double and thickets of shiny condominium towers forever alter the city’s distinctive skyline.

It’s a market that’s the envy of North America, outpacing building in centers many times its size and attracting international investment that a few years ago would have migrated elsewhere, especially to the U.S.

According to Emporis — a Frankfurt-based research company that tracks multi-story buildings — there were 132 high-rises under construction in Toronto in September, far ahead of the next most-active center, Mexico City with 88, and third-place New York with 86.

(Rounding off the top five: Chicago and Miami, with 17 and 16 respectively.)

In addition, there are about another 120 projects in “pre-construction,” says Vaccaro, whose organization lobbies governments on behalf of the building and development industry. 

So why is Toronto, with its dank, miserable 5-month-long winters, the hottest condo market in North America?

Among the reasons, say industry analysts and insiders, is that the Canadian economy was left relatively unscathed by the Wall Street collapse of 2008. The housing market in particular proved resilient, quickly shaking off the ripple effects of the crash south of the border.Earlier this month, U.S.-based Forbes magazine ranked Canada as the best place on the planet to do business. The U.S. came in 10th.

As the economic hub of the country, responsible for fully 20 per cent of its GDP, Toronto benefits greatly from such global attention. “We’re seen as a safe haven for foreign investment,” said Vaccaro.

The city is also a major immigration destination. Federal immigration policies continue to attract large numbers of new Canadians, most of whom are drawn invariably to the big cities, especially Toronto. An estimated 100,000 new residents move into the greater Toronto area each year, a growth rate closer to that of cities in Asia than any in North America.

In addition, immigration rules favor migrants with assets, meaning many jump quickly into a housing market that, despite rising prices, is still a bargain by international standards. 

Toronto is bordered by a ‘green belt,’ ringing the city at the edges of its vast suburbs. Imposed by the province of Ontario in 2005 largely as an environmental measure, it has helped contain suburban sprawl, forcing developers to move away from traditional housing tract development and to look skywards. 

The result is a city that gleams in the late afternoon light, a magnet for big money and big names.

In May, a 9,000-square-foot penthouse sold for $28 million ($27.5 million U.S.) — a record for a Canadian condominium — to an undisclosed foreign buyer. The unit sits atop a residential complex that also houses a Four Seasons Hotel, one of the world’s foremost luxury chains.

Similar mixed-use complexes by Asian luxury giant Shangri-La (offering what it calls “private estates from $2.9 million”) and Trump (although ‘The Donald’ is reportedly only a minority stakeholder) are scheduled to open in 2012. A 53-storey Ritz-Carlton, with 159 “managed condominiums” opened its doors earlier this year.

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), 1,870 condominiums sold in Toronto in September — up 23 percent from a year earlier — while the average price climbed 9 percent to $330,500. 

“The Canadian housing market remains a bright spot against a backdrop of mixed headline news about the global economy,” said CREA president Gary Morse in a recent statement.

“Up to now, you open on Monday, you’re sold by Friday,” said developer Mel Pearl, with just a hint of exaggeration.

Pearl’s signature luxury project is Bisha, a hotel and residential complex in a prime downtown location across from a restaurant co-owned by hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.

But he also has a stake at the market’s other extreme, a project called Karma, which has the distinction of offering what may be the tiniest units — 277 square foot ‘studios’ — ever to go on sale in Toronto.

“They’re the smallest I’ve ever seen,” said realtor Michael Klassen but, with prices as low as $199,000, they’re being snapped up by investors. “No joke,” said Klassen. “I cannot get ahold of enough units for this building.”

The attraction for investors is simple math: with a market that in recent years has appreciated 8 to 9 percent annually, even the smallest units are an attractive investment: bought “pre-construction,” they’re worth considerably more by the time they’re built.

It’s estimated that fully 60 percent of the units sold in the Toronto market are snapped up by international investors, many from the China and South Asia.

The incessant demand has created a sales hierarchy that can be byzantine and often puts a domestic buyer interested simply in a place to live at the bottom of the list. 

Klassen describes it like this: Typically, the first block of units is offered to “friends and family” of the project principals, followed by ‘VVIPs’ or preferred sales agents with steady and reliable rosters of buyers. Then come ‘VIPs’, agents with proven track records, followed by “regular brokers” and, finally, the public.

“Joe Public gets last dibs,” said CREA spokesperson Pierre Leduc, although he says the practice is no different than car manufacturers offering special edition vehicles to preferred customers first.

Of greater concern to many are fears that the market will invariably overheat and collapse.

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney warned earlier this year that too much inventory could lead to “the possibility of an overshoot in the condo market" in Toronto. 

But industry analysts have been predicting for years the end of the Toronto boom, and so far they’ve been wrong.