Seven Steps to Create a More Inclusive Work Environment for Immigrants & Refugees

February 2, 2023 Rhonda Gardner

Introduction

As human beings we have a way compartmentalizing our lives to better manage all the information that we are bombarded with and to better manage all the emotions the information may stir. As a result, when we hear the words inclusion, inclusivity or belonging we may subconsciously associate it primarily with race. This is understandable, considering why Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) programs surged in organizations since 2020.

According to the Harvard Business Review, “more than 1,600 CEOs signed onto the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge, and 40% of companies discussed diversity and inclusion in their Q2 2020 earnings calls versus only 4% the same quarter a year prior. According to Gartner research, the number of HR leaders identifying DEI efforts as a top priority was 1.8 times higher in 2020 than in 2019. Gartner analysis reveals an almost 800% increase in job postings for dedicated diversity recruiters.”

Consequently, in some organizations there may be less of an association between the concept of inclusion with immigrants and refugees in the workplace as there is with race. Immigrants and refugees come in all races, but immigrants and refugees each has a unique experience that should be considered in the workplace and in DEIB programs. Today DEIB continues to be important in managing and shaping organizational behavior, policies, systems, and culture.

Who are Immigrants and Refugees?

Immigrants are persons who have willing left the country of their birth and currently resides in another country for the purpose of education, work or as a permanent residence or naturalized citizen. Refugees are persons who flee or are outside their country of origin for reasons of feared persecution, war conflict, generalized violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order and, as a result, require international protection (asylum) in another country.

What is Inclusion?

The Oxford dictionary defines inclusion as ‘the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as members of other minority groups and those who have physical or intellectual disabilities.’

Immigrants and refugees are minority groups and depending on the culture of the organization and scope of the DEIB program, may also be unconsciously marginalized within the organization. This article considers the perceptions about and experiences of immigrants and refugees in the workplace and what steps can be taken to create a more inclusive environment for them.

Step 1: Take an Inventory of Your Perceptions

You have an opinion of immigrants and refugees. It may be conscious or unconscious, but you have one. Take a few minutes, be still and write them down in two columns – a positive column and a negative column. What words or phrases come to mind under each of those columns?

A few weeks before becoming a naturalized citizen of the US, I was having lunch with a recent acquaintance who was aware of this. I had also invited them to the ceremony. During the conversation, they asked me “so you will begin paying taxes now, after you become a US citizen?” I was so taken aback by the question, that the interaction and perception they had of me, and all immigrants remained with me. I responded, “I have always paid taxes, even when I was a student and not earning enough to be taxed, I was taxed. I got a refund after, but I was taxed. I have always paid taxes.” They responded, ‘Oh.’ I’m not sure they believed me as I watched them mentally struggle with this revelation. They didn’t make it to the ceremony, and we lost touch after that lunch.

This is an example of the misinformation propagated and the erroneous assumptions people make. Are there immigrants who may not be paying taxes? Probably. But to make assumptions and negatively stereotype all immigrants and refugees can stunt and damage a relationship in the workplace before it even begins. In most cases, I it will be the immigrant or refugee who will suffer harm because of this as they are less likely to be in a position of power or influence.

Step 2: Identify the Source of Your Perceptions

Identifying the source of your perceptions or impressions can help you determine the validity or credibility of your perception and impressions. Look at your list of positive and negative perceptions and identify the source of your perceptions.

Was it from your family and friends?
Was it through social media?
Was it from a blog or podcast?
Was it from a person in power?
Was it from the news?
Was it from a book?
Was it from immigrants or refugees you did not know personally?

Have you ever noticed that emotions are contagious? When watching a movie, you often mirror the emotions of those on the screen. You know it’s not real, but you laugh when the characters are laughing, you’re afraid when they are scared, you cry when they are emotionally distraught, and you become incensed when they are angry. It’s not even a conscious or premeditated reaction. As you identify the sources of your feelings or impressions of immigrants and refugees, you may realize the sources were not credible or maybe to some degree they were. However, the emotions they elicited in you are real, may be strongly held. This is how unconscious biases, fear or even hatred develop. Many times, how you feel about immigrants and refugees in the workplace has little to do with your own interactions with and knowledge of them personally. Many times, they are a reflection of the general impressions and assumptions of others within your orbit and whose emotions have unconsciously become your own.

Step 3: Consider the Impact of Your Perceptions

Unconscious biases or xenophobia against immigrants or refugees may cause you to treat them differently. This difference may be reflected in subtle or overt attitudes and behaviors that make the work environment uncomfortable and even oppressive for immigrants and refugees.

According to Psychology Today, ‘unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias) refers to unconscious forms of discrimination and stereotyping based on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, age, and nationality.’ Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of anyone or anything which is perceived as being foreign. It may be an expression of perceived conflict between an ‘ingroup’ (dominant culture) and an ‘outgroup.' This conflict or tension may manifest as 1) general suspicion and undue scrutiny of the outgroup or 2) as a desire to eliminate or diminish their power, influence or advancement in an organization or 3) as questioning or challenging the 'outgroups' competence or qualifications in the workplace. These xenophobic behaviors of the ingroup may be fueled by fear of losing power, authority, and prominence to the ‘outgroup.’

In a recent poll I took on LinkedIn, 67% of the respondents shared they experienced xenophobia in the workplace as an immigrant or refugee.

Poll statement: “I have experienced xenophobia in the workplace as an immigrant or refugee.”

As professionals, we know we need to prove ourselves and perform well. There are no exceptions to that expectation. However, as immigrants or refugees, we also often must prove we are personally trustworthy or prove to others they don’t need to be afraid of us or prove that we belong when other employee demographics don’t have to prove any of these things. This depletes our physical and psychological energy because we are pushing against something that is not real or relevant to us as individuals but perceived to be so by society and in the organization.

Unless xenophobia and unconscious biases are challenged and resolved in a timely manner, immigrants and refugees are engaged in a losing battle against exclusion, inequities and microaggressions in the workplace.

Step 4: Assume the Best

Creating a more inclusive work environment for immigrants and refugees begins with adopting new thought patterns and behaviors and relinquishing stereotypical beliefs subconsciously garnered along the way. Practice making these assumptions when working with immigrants and refugees:

They are qualified and competent to do the job they were hired to do.
They are honest, hardworking, resilient, and ambitious.
If they are leading and have successfully executed a project, they are the most (if not one of the most) qualified employees to present and speak about it to their peers and leadership.
They want to work in a psychologically safe space to be themselves, to grow and to be treated fairly, equitably, with dignity and respect.
Continuous learning and opportunities for professional and financial growth are important to them.
They are pursuing success for themselves, to make their families proud and to support their communities.
They want to be valued for their skills and contributions and not undervalued based on their nationality.
They want to legally live and work in the country in which they reside.
They want to share about their journey as an immigrant or refugee and for others to actively listen.
Family and faith are often very important to them.
They are grateful to experience a new culture in a different country and want to be productive employees and model citizens.
They want to share their culture and express that culture (within reason) on the job.
They want to learn more about the new culture to better assimilate.
They want assimilation into a new culture to be primarily on their terms. There may be some things they will want to change about themselves and other areas they would like to remain the same.

Inclusion and assimilation should be healthy and self-affirming experiences for immigrants and refugees. They don’t want to be ostracized or stunted in their professional growth because of their cultural affinities or differences. The following bar chart highlights some of the changes immigrants and refugees have felt the need to make to be included in the workplace or to advance professionally.

Step 5: Focus on Their Employee Experience

In response to one of the polling questions, ‘as an immigrant and refugee, what is your strongest desire in the workplace;’ the most common response was ‘to be accepted and understood’. Being accepted and understood is difficult if relationships at work are purely transactional. Transactional relationships are not caring or inclusive relationships. They are about using the brain power and skills of immigrants and refugees with little or no interest in the person who is leading the project, solving problems, building systems or increasing your revenue. Employees, including immigrants and refugees, don’t want to be treated as ‘a means to an end’ or objectified like office equipment. A key component of a positive employee experience is being treated humanely. To be treated humanely means recognizing immigrants and refugees for their skills and contributions and caring about them equally as fellow employees and human beings.

According to McKinsey and Company, there are nine factors to get right when creating a positive employee experience. The top 3 factors are:

‘People and Relationships - Am I seen and treated by my leaders as a significant contributor to the organization?’
‘Teamwork - Do the people I work with everyday trust and care for one another to create a collaborative and innovative environment?’
‘Social Climate - Am I welcomed in this community, and do I feel like I belong?’

A genuine conversation can go a long way in breaking down barriers, dismantling confirmation biases and changing perceptions. Learn more about immigrants and refugees to gain a better understanding of who they are, what drives them and the challenges they face.

Step 6: Measure Engagement…Including Your Own

Creating an inclusive work environment for immigrants and refugees requires their engagement as well as your own. If supervisors and employers are not engaged in this process, it will not be successful.

Take some time to answer each of these questions for the immigrants or refugees on your team.

Do I truly see (name of employee) and treat them as a significant contributor to our team?
Do I trust and care for (name of employee) in a way that fosters collaboration and innovation on the team?
Do I trust and care for (name of employee) in a way that mirrors how I trust and care for nationals on my team?
Have I truly welcomed (name of employee) on my team in a way that fosters a sense of belonging on the team?

This may seem like a simple exercise, but it will have a profound impact on you as you consider the answers. You should also ask the nationals on your team to complete the exercise.

African American businessman Supervisor with mixed ethnic group of happy businesspeople in the office.

What more can you do to better engage and include immigrants and refugees on your team? Explore other ways to measure inclusion of immigrants and refugees in your organization or on your team like hosting focus groups, conducting pulse surveys, cultural intelligence assessments and coaching and by taking timely concrete action to address and resolve any issues.

Step 7: Support Immigrants and Refugees Thrive

You would be happy to learn that immigrants and refugees are not seeking special treatment. They desire equitable opportunities through transparent systems to advance within the organization for which they work. They also want to be treated with dignity and respect and work in psychologically safe environments.

Professional Development - In the poll on LinkedIn, I asked participants to identify their next most important goal. Professional Development accrued the most responses. Explore ways in which you could transparently and equitably develop the skills and abilities of immigrants and refugees on your team. In addition to professional development courses and paying for professional memberships and certifications, you may also want to explore career assessments and coaching.

Whether an early career employee, a middle manager, an emerging leader or starting over, Assessments with Coaching, will provide deeper insight into immigrants and refugees’ strengths, areas that are hampering their growth and how they can take positive steps towards advancing their career.

Professional development can potentially lead to promotions which not only increase influence and exposure, but also the earning power of immigrants and refugees. Investments in immigrants and refugees yield many positive returns as seen in the stories of Samuel, Katarina and Hourie.

Poll Question: “As an immigrant or refugee, my next most urgent goal is…”

H1B Visa Immigrants - While jobs may pay well, H1B visa immigrants are sometimes vulnerable to the vagaries of some employers. Employers, as the H1B sponsor, know it is difficult for immigrants to work for another organization. Unfortunately, some employers abuse their authority by creating challenging work environments for H1B visa immigrants that are often difficult to leave or change. H1B visa immigrants are very grateful to work for the employers who have sponsored them and often go above and beyond in their performance to show their gratitude. Therefore, employers are guaranteed to gain more from H1B visa immigrants by creating a positive employee experience than by not doing so.

Family And Faith – These are often very important to immigrants and refugees. Therefore, providing opportunity and flexibility to travel to their country of origin supports immigrants’ wellbeing in the workplace. Many immigrants may choose to schedule their vacation during celebratory events like Christmas, Lunar New Year, Diwali or Eid. They may not travel every year, because of the cost, but reconnecting with family through a common faith experience is important and should be supported. There may be times when immigrants can’t travel home but want to celebrate a religious holiday away from the office and without missing any important meetings. In advance, employers and immigrant/refugee employees should work together to ensure work is current and that taking PTO will not disrupt the team.

Three generational Asian family celebrating with a meal and cake.

Family Emergencies – Family emergencies are rare, but they do happen. When there are family emergencies, employers should also be sensitive and supportive of the need of immigrants to return to their family to help in any way they can. On June 15th, 2014, ironically Father’s Day, my dad had a stroke and was hospitalized. I went to work the following day unable to concentrate and in tears. I was eight months into a new job as Director, Human Resources, I was supposed to attend a 3-day training in DC that week and I wasn’t eligible for FMLA Leave. After a conversation with a supportive colleague that morning and letting my supervisor know what had happened, with my supervisor’s approval, I decided to postpone the training and purchase a plane ticket to Trinidad. I was home by that evening and for the week. That was a life-changing event for my family. I was very grateful for the support I received from my employer to be there for my family.

Well Being - A refugee experience, more times than not, is a traumatic experience. Fleeing your country and living in a refugee camp come with physical, emotional and psychological peril. The experience can erode a sense of identity, sense of self-worth and can also lead to different forms of anxiety and depression. Therefore, employees who have had a refugee experience may need access to benefits that focus on employee well-being, like an EAP program, Talkspace and health insurance, to address the trauma they have experienced. Here is a quote from one of the participants to the poll question above, “As an immigrant or refugee, my next most urgent goal is… ‘Being in a safe country because even here in a Ugandan refugee camp where we stay, we are not safe… not enough medication, no good education.’

Conclusion

As organizations continue to build, develop and expand their DEIB programs, they must consider the other marginalized groups that exist in the workplace, like immigrants and refugees. It will require more work, more conversations, cultural competence, addressing unconscious biases and confronting fears and even resistance. But the reward will be a truly inclusive, equitable, engaged and productive workforce committed to the organization’s vision and mission.

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