Big gains in employing migrants

Workplace diversity brings more creativity and freshness into a business.

Toolkit helps firms assist foreign workers in adapting to NZ workplaces.

Studies show that diversity is a good thing in the workplace - it brings better ideas, more creativity and freshness into a business, it also helps organisations understand and work in different markets. But it's not just about employing a workforce from different cultures, sitting back and hoping that magic will happen. To get the best out of diversity takes work and understanding from employers and employees.

Agnes Granada of the Migrant Action Trust says it's important for employers to invest time in working with migrants to bring them into the Kiwi culture - and the culture of a workplace.

"Yes, the migrant needs to develop an understanding of New Zealand culture to be successful in a workplace here, but the understanding and learning needs to be mutual - the employers also need to learn about the culture of their employees."

Ms Granada explains: "New Zealand is a do-it-yourself culture. This is a country that is far from the rest of the world and it's developed a culture that prides innovation and inventiveness. Employers generally want employees to think for themselves.

"Often employers expect migrants to be like this straight away - but actually it takes time to adapt. Let's say the immigrant comes from Korea. There the culture is about being told what to do in the workplace; it's not about taking the initiative.

"It's short-sighted for an employer to complain that a Korean employee doesn't take the initiative, if this person is not being told what is expected of him and encouraged to speak up. It takes time to take on New Zealand culture, to learn new ways of doing things."

She says there are huge gains in employing immigrants. These include getting access to different markets within New Zealand and without, if you make the effort migrants can make extremely loyal employees - they're more likely to stay in a business that has been good to them.

"There is a big return if these people are invested in properly - the attitude is if the employer invests in me, and is good to me, I will like to stay here and work hard."

Ms Granada acknowledges that 90 per cent of New Zealand businesses are small and in a small work environment things can get very busy. These businesses are not necessarily spending time training new migrants.

"In large workplaces it's easier. There is a separate human resources department."

However, she says, small businesses would find it worthwhile to make the time to help migrant employees fit in.

"At the end of the day, there are big benefits. Staff retention contributes to the bottom line."

After lobbying from the Migrant Action Trust, New Zealand Immigration has introduced a toolkit for employers to help them induct migrant workers into their business.

This toolkit explains how frustrating cultural confusion can be - and how it can be circumvented.

An example is used when a migrant employee brings up something after a meeting - he is asked why he didn't bring it up at the meeting.

The problem turns out to be that he believed that to speak at the meeting he needed to be invited to do so.

Another thing that the toolkit points out is that the New Zealand accent and informal language use can be hard for migrants to understand, as they have usually learned formal English.

Their accents may be hard to understand for their bosses, too, but often they understand English better than they're given credit for.

The toolkit says: "Employers who invest in language training for their employees usually see noticeable improvements in productivity".

HR consultant John Butters of John Butters and Associates says it's important when bringing migrants into the workplace that employers make sure existing staff are in the picture - that they understand that the workplace is about equal opportunity and has a diversity policy.

He suggests that a good orientation programme is vital.

"Buddy systems tend to work well - the migrant is matched with a buddy who has worked for the organisation for a while and can help the person understand the culture and what's expected."

In some cases it can be helpful for the employer to aid the migrant with the settling-in process.

Perhaps this can be through helping them find accommodation, putting them in touch with people from their community within New Zealand, groups or churches.

In short, it's about helping them adapt to living in New Zealand.

Butters says: "Sometimes with migrants you do have to invest more time than with Kiwi employees, but it pays dividend big time."