Integrating Refugees: a Moral and Business Imperative

Nobody asks to be a refugee.

Whether it’s because of wars, political unrest or natural disasters:people are forced to make the difficult decision of fleeing their home country. That factmustnot diminish their value as individuals.

Christophe Catoir, President of Adecco, learned this first-hand when he acted as a mentor to Glory. As Christophe puts it: “Refugees don’tchoose to be refugees. When they are starting a new life, they need a partner to help them. So, when we talk about support, refugees need to be at the top of our agenda.”

In 2022, Adecco facilitated the hiring of more than 15,000 refugees. Using flex contracts and our vast network of employer connections, we recruited 7,000 in Germany, 4,900 in France and 2,000 in Italy and Poland. Moreover, around 8,000 displaced Ukrainians were helped back into work via our Jobs For Ukraine platform. 

We have always understood the value of inclusion - and see the positive impact it has on people, companies and society eachday.This is also why wefirmly believethat social and economic impact go hand in hand.

It’s especially important for marginalized groups of people such as refugees or workers from underprivileged backgrounds who might have fewer opportunities for fair and decent work.We take it further, offering not just employer introductions but social coaching and network capacity with NGOs and state-led programs.

In a talent-scarce economy,inclusive policies help fill vacancies and helpsociety function at its best. Among other things, refugees look for purpose, stability and income to steady their families in their host country and back home - and by extension, this steadies whole communities. 

How is Adecco helping refugees?

As a responsible employer we have developed expertise in assisting with inclusion efforts such as:

• Learning the host language

• Understanding host culture

• Training and upskilling

• Connecting with mentors and trainers

• Introductions to inclusive, supportive and responsible employers

• Counselling

Refugee integration restarts lives

“Finding a job, for me, was the most important part of building a new life,” says Olga Verne, who found help from Adecco Poland after fleeing the war in Ukraine with her children.

“When I came to Poland I immediately started looking for work because I wanted to provide stability for my family. Now I can feel safe and confident. I can go to work, earn money; my children can go to school, develop hobbies and have a happy, normal childhood.”

Abundance Favour, originally from Nigeria, was welcomed by Adecco Italy. “My life has been changed from a jobless lady to a working class lady,” she says. “I believe in changes for everyone. I believe in willingness.”

Humando in Adecco France helped Mohamed Suudi Mohamed learn French and obtain a job selling fish in one of the country’s largest supermarket chains. “Getting a job is very important to me,” he says. “It means I can take care of my family in Somalia.”

From refugee to recruiter: paying it forward

Diana Melynk, a specialist in the International Careers Center in Adecco Poland, understands the refugee candidate better than most.

“About 10 years ago I was in their position,” she says. “I know exactly what problems they face. The war in Donbas had started and I had to change my entire life in two days.”

She struggled against stereotyping and prejudice. “My biggest challenge was the language barrier. I am glad that I am in the right place to help to help the refugees find work, to make them feel secure and comfortable, so they can support not only themselves but also their family who stayed in Ukraine.

“It’s very important to give hope for a better tomorrow to people who left behind everything.”

Maura Pallaria, Case Manager for Adecco Inclusion at Adecco Italy, couldn’t agree more.

“I believe everyone must have the same opportunities to live a dignified life and that we must work for the inclusion of those who are marginalised. Diversity is wealth and different people produce new ideas and growth.”

The power of mentoring

For refugees just like any other worker, a mentor can be an invaluable asset. By showing the way, sharing learnings and helping to overcome barriers, mentors can pave the way. As Christophe Catoir explains based on his time with Glory:

“The first thing I learned from Glory was confirmation that if you trust the potential and the motivation of people, they won’t disappoint you,” says Christophe. “When we talk about making the future work for everyone, ‘everyone’ is the key word. It means that whatever your resume, your diploma, your qualification is, what counts is motivation and potential.”

For this potential to be given a chance, however, Glory needed a partner in finding accommodation, learning their host language and finding a constructive way forward. When he first got in touch with us, Glory asked us to help him become a construction manager. We connected him with an employer offering an apprenticeship and, not long after, Glory landed the job he wanted.

“When we talk about changing lives, it’s good to have a real voice, the true voice of the people we are impacting. Glory was one of those voices.”

Refugee integration builds better businesses

Integrating refugees serves two main objectives: rebuilding lives while also addressing talent scarcity in the global market.

Humando in Adecco France recently facilitated the recruitment of 12 mechanics, including successful highly qualified refugee candidates.

“All the refugee candidates had already worked in this profession in their home countries so they were delighted to be able to resume their careers in France,” explains Ines Vacherand Denand from Himando in Adecco France. “In parallel, we helped to fill positions for our partner companies which had been vacant for 18 months.”

Integrating refugees also builds more diverse companies - and it’s not merely a box-ticking exercise. Study after study has proven that organisations who build diverse workforces are more likely to outperform those that don’t. Building a better future

Setting up the Jobs For Ukraine non-for-profit platform was informed by more than a decade of experience in countries such as Iraq and Syria, where Adecco forged links with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the European Network Against Racism’s Equal@Work Platform.

In 2020, The Adecco Group joined the Tent Partnership for Refugees - a coalition of more than 300 major companies committed to including refugees in their workplaces. The future of work needs to work for everyone, no matter their background. That’s why we’re determined to create a more sustainable framework for refugee workers. Inclusion in a shared responsibility between people, companies and society, a responsibility which ultimately benefits us all.