Building capacity in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to hire immigrants
Project Lead(s)
Team Members
Mohamed Elmi, Tony Fang, Rupa Banerjee
Sub-theme
Interrogating immigrant un(der)employment: Causes, consequences and solutions
In recent years, there has been a surge of highly qualified and skilled immigrants moving to Canada, yet research suggests that the Canadian workforce may not always be equipped to hiring new immigrants, this is especially true for small and medium enterprises.
Objective
Understanding the gap between existing immigrant integration services and the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in hiring and retaining newcomers, this action research project aims to not only analyse the barriers to hiring newcomers and strategies for eroding these barriers but also to develop tools and training to support SMEs in improving their practices.
This project will develop a framework, tools and techniques to better support SMEs in hiring and retaining newcomers by addressing leadership and strategy, human resources and culture as well as the value chain or business processes, and community partnerships.
Research question(s)
- What are the barriers faced by SMEs in hiring and retaining newcomers?
- How can SMEs build their capacity to support and hire newcomers?
- What are models and best practices to support SMEs in hiring newcomers?
Methodology
This research will use a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative). Qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured interviews, and quantitative data will be collected through surveys. The interview and survey questions will be informed by frameworks for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion strategies tailored to the context of SMEs and the needs of diverse newcomers. Quantitative data will showcase and assess the capacities of SMEs in hiring and retaining newcomers. Based on the findings, the recommendations and best practices section will be presented.
Status
The project is currently in progress.
Expected completion date: September 2026
Key words
Small and medium enterprises; migrant employment; hiring; equity, diversity, and inclusion; employment integration
