New Toolkit to Help Employers Successfully Integrate Immigrants into the Workplace

On June 17, the Welcoming Center launched a new toolkit to help employers recruit, retain, and promote immigrant and refugee workers. The Engaging Immigrant Talent toolkit shares with employers proven actions they can take to tap into the potential of immigrant talent and make their workplaces more inclusive. The resource is designed to meet employers where they are, help them identify their own biases and gaps, and support the development of employer practices such as culturally competent hiring.

“As our nation looks towards an equitable economic recovery, the Welcoming Center’s Engaging Immigrant Talent toolkit provides practical steps to successfully incorporate immigrants into the talent cycle of the U.S. workforce,” said Director of Employer Engagement Rochelle T. Cooks of the Welcoming Center.

The toolkit is the result of 18 months of research and collaboration led by the Welcoming Center, one of the WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s first grantee partners. Since 2019, driving more inclusive employer practices has remained one of the Fund’s critical priorities. As a funder committed to the work of developing a more equitable economy, one in which immigrants and refugees can thrive, the Fund is thrilled to see this culmination of the Welcoming Center’s efforts.

To create this resource, the Welcoming Center team brought together employers, immigrants, and workforce development practitioners to share their perspectives.  From the start, it was important for both workers and employers to inform the toolkit’s workforce integration strategies and practices.

“Workers today are looking for employers who are providing high-quality jobs, and flexible, equitable, and diverse work environments. If you think wages alone are a proxy for job quality, you will find yourself in trouble,” said Monica Munn, WES’ Managing Director of Philanthropy, in a news article by WorkingNation.

Read more in the press coverage by WorkingNation, and be sure to download the Engaging Immigrant Talent toolkit.