The focus for this year’s World Refugee Day is the right to seek safety. Every person on this planet has a right to seek safety—whoever they are, wherever they come from and whenever they are forced to flee. We believe that the right to seek safety includes the right to seek employment.
Fortunately, we aren’t the only ones that hold that opinion. There are countless organisations across the world that make it their mission to help refugees find meaningful employers, secure work and, in turn, safety.
The benefits of hiring refugees go beyond simply filling vacant positions. In doing so, employers can make their companies more diverse, strengthen the skills and expertise of their workforce and boost employee morale by demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility.
How many companies are aware of these benefits? Quite a few. According to research from Grant Thornton, a majority of UK employers (62%) say they are open to hiring refugees and 51% say they are likely to hire a refugee in the next year; however; nearly half (40%) say they would need additional support.
To that end, we’ve decided to shortlist some amazing organisations that make it logistically easier for companies to hire refugees, build transparent and supportive professional relationships and much more.
1. Imagine Foundation
The Imagine Foundation is a volunteer-run social organisation baked in Berlin, Germany. They connect IT talent from MENA countries with the opportunity to develop professionally, and advance globally.
More specifically, they “Offer a digital service that increases people's chance of finding a job in Germany. Most applicants have MINT degrees, some work experience, drive, and actively seek a future in Europe. We provide personal, in-depth coaching via video chat and help candidates assess their readiness for a job in Europe. Our top students graduate as Imagine Fellows and are matched with companies.”
Imagine has also spearheaded two initiatives that help talent from Afghanistan and Ukraine find employment opportunities in Germany.
All told, Imagine currently supports more than 1,500 refugees. They have over 750 companies in their network of welcoming employers and a volunteer base of 1,600 coaches.
Learn more about the Imagine Foundation, the companies they partner with, or to inquire about becoming a partner yourself.
2. Jobs for Humanity
Jobs for Humanity, another volunteer-led organisation, is on a mission to create an inclusive and just employment ecosystem by supporting job seekers from six underrepresented talent communities, including refugees.
To increase access to employment opportunities for refugees (and other communities) Jobs for Humanity partners with welcoming employers—from all over the world—committed to diversity hiring and aggregates their job postings on the Jobs for Refugees career site.
The organisation offers one-on-one coaching for candidates, and recruiting training for employers, conducted by refugees that have successfully transitioned into the workforce, as well as recruiters with extensive experience working with displaced persons.
You can share job postings for open roles on Jobs for Refugees’ career board.
3. Remote for Refugees
An initiative from Remote.com, Remote for Refugees provides companies with free Employer of Record services (EOR) when hiring in countries where their services are available.
For those that don’t know, an EOR is a third-party organisation that hires and pays an employee on behalf of another company and takes responsibility for all formal employment tasks. Their services allow companies to legally hire overseas workers and manage things like payroll, taxes, benefits and so forth.
Learn more about Remote for Refugees.
4. Oyster for Refugees
Like Remote for Refugees, Oyster for Refugees helps companies hire, pay, and provide benefits to refugees in 180+ countries at no or discounted costs.
By working with Oyster for Refugees, companies also have the opportunity to partner with diversity recruitment platform Niya,ai, provide candidates upskill through free remote courses and access an extensive database of diversity recruiting resources.
Discover Oyster for Refugees’ services.
5. Talent Beyond Boundaries
Talent Beyond Boundaries is an organisation that connects refugees to international job opportunities. Among other things, they directly partner with companies across the world, and help them find the candidates they need from a talent pool of over 40,000 skilled workers.
After identifying suitable candidates, they check visa eligibility, facilitate the recruitment process remotely, help with the visa application process, and provide ongoing post-arrival support.
Learn more about partnering with Talent Beyond Boundaries as an employer.
6. Localyze
Localyze is an all-in-one global mobility platform that empowers companies and their employees to manage all aspects of the relocation process. Similarly to Talent Beyond Boundaries, Localyze helps organisations physically relocate talent across borders, rather than hire them remotely.
To promote the free movement of talent across borders, Localyze has partnered with the Imagine Foundation on several occasions, helping to relocate talent from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
To learn more about the free support we provide for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, send us an email.
Conclusion
Working with refugees is one of the best decisions a company can make. If you’d like to start doing so, there are several ways in which your company can potentially provide support. By partnering with one of the organisations listed in this article, you’ll position yourself to start changing lives—one job at a time.
Want to learn more about the ways in which employment can transform the lives of refugees? Check out our recent post: 3 great reasons why everyone can help refugees in finding work.
