Refugee Hiring Events

The Hiring Event model is unique because it relies on the collective participation and collaboration of employers along with refugee-serving, community-based organizations. The key to successful collaboration rests on mutual trust and understanding. The resulting synergies prove to be more effective and impactful than those of a unilateral event.
Further, multi-agency collaboration allows for each organization to harness its skills and contacts in the best way possible.

The recruitment of employers is a collective effort by all hiring event stakeholders. Consulted with and approved by agency partners along with the central convenor, employers are selected with a diversity of job postings in mind; for instance, industries and sectors and job levels. Employers must:

• Submit open vacancies to make actual “hiring” possible.
• Send interviewers or recruiters who have decision-making authority to ensure that qualified candidates are offered jobs on-site or are flagged for next rounds of interviews.
• Commit to attend the employer preparatory session to understand roles and responsibilities as a participating employer.
• Commit to report back hiring outcomes to the Hiring Event committee with supporting data.

The pre-screening of applications, though the most labour-intensive aspect of the preparatory phase, is crucial to the success of the hiring event model. A thorough review of résumés and applications is beneficial to both candidates and employers. For employers, the pre-screening guarantees that the interviewees will possess the required skill sets. For candidates, the pre-screening significantly boosts the experience by increasing the odds in their favour.

With the pre-screening done, the lead agency partner notifies all agency partners with lists of invited candidates categorized according to the candidates’ registered agency. The agency partners, particularly employment counsellors, then reach out to their own clients to schedule customized preparatory sessions. These pre-event sessions are designed to address role-specific requirements to maximize candidates’ chances of success. For candidates who have not registered with an agency partner, the lead agency partner takes the lead to plan and organize the preparatory session.

The hiring event puts action-oriented next steps at its core. Participating employers are committed to assigning staff who are authorized to make hiring decisions on-site. For each interview, employers are asked to clearly communicate with candidates about next steps with a timeline or customized feedback based on interviews. Hiring managers are guided to share with each candidate one of three possible outcomes: a formal offer, an invitation to a second-round interview, or to let the candidate know they will not be continuing in the hiring process but that the manager will provide feedback to help them improve. After the event, employers also report interview outcomes back to the hiring event committee.

The City of Toronto, in partnership with the Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable and various local and provincial stakeholders, is hosting a unique hiring event for refugees and forcibly displaced persons currently seeking employment in the Greater Toronto Area.
Registrations for the 2023 Toronto Hiring Event are now open. Register today.

Unlike traditional job fairs, the Hiring Event is open to companies that have vacancies and are prepared to offer interviews to pre-screened refugee candidates. The goal is meaningful employment for candidates by providing either a job offer on the spot, an opportunity for a second interview, or flagging the candidate for inclusion into the company’s hiring process.

Employer registrations are now open. To learn about future Hiring Events, contact us.

If you would like to organize a Refugee Hiring Event, download this guide. It is designed to inform and support municipalities, community agencies, and employers that share an interest in connecting talented refugees with available employment opportunities.

Don’t know where to start? The Roundtable can help. Contact us.

Event highlights:

• 8 employers
• 43 candidates
• 85% hired or moved to the next stage

Event highlights:

• 14 employers
• 10 community agencies
• 151 candidates
• 70% hired or moved to the next stage

Event highlights:

• 15 employers
• 6 community agencies
• 111 candidates
• 63% hired or moved to the next stage