Immigrant-Friendly Businesses—Effective Practices for Attracting, Integrating, and Retaining Immigrants in Canadian Workplaces

Businesses that attract, integrate, develop, and retain international talent benefit from an expanded knowledge and skills base. However, many immigrants face challenges when trying to enter the Canadian labour market (e.g., credential recognition, language issues) or integrating into Canadian workplaces (e.g., different workplace cultures, discrimination). This report looks at the ways businesses can mitigate these challenges by adapting and implementing a number of “immigrant-friendly” programs and practices along a recruitment, integration, development, and retention continuum. An analysis of award-winning business programs and practices and a series of key informant interviews yield practical insights that businesses can use to more effectively leverage the skills, knowledge, and creative capacity of international talent. Finally, the report identifies some “keys to success” for making immigration work in Canadian businesses.