From competence match to long-lasting employment

QVARTZ' perspective on a new game plan for companies and refugees

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CONTACT

QVARTZ SwedenBirger Jarlsgatan 7SE-111 45 StockholmTel + 46 (0)8 614 19 00

QVARTZ NorwayWergelandsveien 21NO-0167 OsloTel +47 22 59 36 00

QVARTZ DenmarkRyesgade 3ADK-2200 Copenhagen NTel +45 33 17 00 00

QVARTZ GermanyNeuer Wall 40DE-20354 HamburgTel +49 40 298 13 470

QVARTZ USASuite 2131185 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, NY 10036, USATel +1 646 492 9913

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CONTENTS

A competence match is only the beginning ................................................... 4

A new game plan – seven steps to long-lasting employment ............... 11

Our own experiences and lessons learnt ........................................................ 16

Go the extra mile ...................................................................................................... 18

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A competence match is only the beginning

This perspective is motivated by the seemingly systematic challenges in Denmark – and across Europe – of turning initial competence matching

between refugees and companies into long-lasting employment

Public authorities, companies and refugees are

all eager to create successful competence-based

matches with regard to employment. This is

QVARTZ' observation via numerous activities and

collaborations since the beginning of 2016, aimed

at helping refugees find employment. However, we

have also observed widespread difficulty in trans-

forming this eagerness for an initial match – e.g.

through an internship – into long-lasting employ-

ment to the benefit of the refugee, the company

and society as a whole. To explore why this is, we

wish to reflect upon and share the lessons we have

learnt through our collaborations with other com-

panies, non-profit organisations, public authorities

and the refugees themselves.

Between 2014 and the first quarter of 2017, more than 40,000 asylum seekers have come to Denmark1 – and many have been, or will be, granted asylum. Several actors, incl. QVARTZ, have emphasised that this influx of new people to Denmark holds a huge potential for new competences. Yet, despite signifi-cant progress, much of this potential remains unreal-ised.

Fully realising the potential requires a collective effort by a range of actors. The public authorities play an important role in terms of minimising unnec-essary barriers for refugees to enter the workforce, e.g. by allowing asylum seekers to be allocated to the municipalities where there is a demand for their competences. The refugees themselves need to learn Danish (or as a minimum English) and adjust to a new culture in- and outside of work. Meanwhile, the companies who want to benefit from this potential need to think and act beyond their usual practices and processes when hiring a new employee.

While successful integration requires efficient collab-oration between several actors: the public authori-ties and civil society as well as companies and the individual refugees, this perspective zooms in on the latter two pieces of the puzzle.

A strong willingness among companies to go the extra mile There are numerous examples of companies wanting to help refugees integrate into the Danish workforce. The Danish think tank Monday Morning has identified 44 examples of grass root employment-related initi-atives as part of their mapping of successful Danish integration efforts (Integrationens Danmarkskort). The number of companies in the business network Together for Integration (Sammen om integration)

is growing, now counting ~200 companies of vari-ous sizes across industries2. Meanwhile, companies are increasingly taking advantage of opportunities to hire refugees. For example, as of April 2017, 466 "IGU"-procedures (a combination of business edu-cation, language training and practical experience) have been registered with the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) – of which more than 70 have been registered in the past

From refugee influx to competence match ('Fra flygtningestrøm til kompetencematch')

In 2016, QVARTZ published a white paper with 29 suggestions for improving Denmark's ability to help asylum seekers and refugees enter the workforce. The publication (in Danish) can be found at http://qvartz.com/buzz/whitepaper/fra-flygtningestrom-til-kompetencematch/

Since the publication, QVARTZ has collaborated with a range of organisations and companies to turn the ideas into reality, e.g. by facilitating a job matching zone at the non-profit event "The Welcome Party" in the autumn of 2016, and by developing a competence match syntax and database for the refugees at Trampoline House in Copenhagen.

This perspective includes insights from companies who participated in this event, as well as from refugees who want to enter, or have entered, the Danish workforce.

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month3. The number of refugees in internships or state-supported jobs have almost doubled during 20164. All of this signals a clear improvement in terms of integrating refugees into the Danish workforce.

Continued challenges in securing long-term employmentThe many initiatives aimed at preparing and quali-fying refugees for the Danish workforce are highly relevant considering the high motivation to work among the refugees we have engaged with, and especially among newly arrived asylum seekers. However, despite this mutual willingness, most em-ployment opportunities for refugees turn out to be only temporary. As an example, only 7 out of 100 ref-ugees still have a job three months after a completed internship – and the number only increases to 12 out of 100 after six months.

Only 7% of the refugees have a job three months after a completed internship

All of this bears witness to a seemingly systematic challenge of turning initial competence matching into long-lasting employment. The above statistics are confirmed by QVARTZ' own experiences with hiring refugees as interns, along with the companies and refugees we have interviewed and worked with. In our experience, companies often highlight a lack of balancing expectations, while the refugees find it difficult to prove their worth on the labour market.

A new game planThrough insights from companies – our own included – and refugees who have sought to create successful employment relations, we here present a new game plan to guide companies on how to create long-lasting employment. The plan contains seven concrete pieces of advice, which we wish we had known when venturing into this unchartered territory more than a year ago, hiring one asylum seeker and one refugee as interns in our company.

The core values at QVARTZ revolve around Results and Relations – to have the former, you must nurture the latter; and vice versa. Creating the foundation for a long-lasting relation between the employer and (in this case) the refugee employee requires a set of important considerations and practical steps that we would like to share our perspectives on – and further develop in cooperation with others.

This publication is by no means an exhaustive list of do's and don'ts, nor is it the result of deep scientific research. Rather, it is a perspective based on our own lived experience, and thus we do not claim to repre-sent all companies or all refugees. However, we hope to further a necessary dialogue about a societal challenge we all have a stake in tackling – and a societal challenge where we all can win.

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The following pages contain a game plan on how to go from initial competence matching to long-lasting employment, as well as reflections on our own experiences from hiring asylum seekers and refugees – what we expected, what we experienced and what we learnt. Lastly, the perspective briefly elaborates on the overall reflections from refugees themselves and companies who have hired refugees.

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Internships for two refugees

Research and interviews with companies,

asylum centres, job centres, municipalities and

refugees

QVARTZ' experiences so farIllustration of the different data points that QVARTZ has gathered over the past years:

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http://qvartz.com/buzz/news/qvartz-con-amore-ismail-

trampoline-house/

Ongoing collaboration with the NGO Trampoline

House in Copenhagen, incl. developing a platform

for competence matching of the refugees in Trampoline House

Facilitating the Job Match Zone at The

Welcome Party in 2016, together with

Microsoft

Active participation in conferences such as

"Godt for Danmark: Fælles løsninger

til god integration", Mandag Morgen

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Competence matchingin the Job Match Zone at Velkomstfesten 2016

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A new game plan – seven steps to long-lasting employment

To ensure the best conditions to guide both the refugee and the company towards long-lasting employment, preparation is key. It is often underestimated how important it is to balance expectations concerning roles, responsibility and the general work culture for both employee and employer, but also internally in the company – both before and during the employment. This holds true in all employment situations, but especially when the company and the employee come from very different cultures.

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A company who would like to hire a refugee should consider…

…prior to potential employment preparation is key…

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Involve the relevant

employees in the company

through open dialogues about

expectations and needs

● Expect cultural differences

and prepare the organisation

for these

● Communicate the motivation

for employment internally and

provide the possibility for the

organisation to ask questions

● Align on what is expected in

terms of support from the

organisation, e.g. the extent

of additional instructions and

training that can be needed

and who is responsible for this

Ensure that the refugee is

thoroughly onboarded

to the specific tasks and balance

them to his/her expectations

and former experiences

● Ensure that the refugee

has understood the concrete

tasks and voiced his or her

knowledge and abilities to

approach the tasks

● Balance the refugee's needs

and goals through e.g. an

internship (language, training,

a job offer, etc.) including extra

support and training in the

beginning (e.g. by appointing

a mentor)

Consider and prepare

responsibility areas before

the job posting

● Outline the necessary

tasks to be solved, as well as

qualifications required by

the organisation – balancing

expectations starts here

● Specifically consider language

requirements and the level

of flexibility you can offer the

refugee

Cooperate with job centres and

utilise their competences

● Advice and support on how

to hire a refugee is available

via the local job centres. The

competences and guidance

available here can be an

aid for companies of all sizes

both before and during

the employment in order to

succeed in making a long-

lasting match and mitigating

challenges during employment

● Some cooperation with the

local authorities is often man-

datory throughout the process,

e.g. in relation to language

training for the new hire

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…and after potential employment certain conditions are necessary…

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Build relations to nourish

results via an open dialogue

about successes and challenges

(also outside of the workplace)

● Results and relations are

interwoven. Investing time in

getting to know each other

and understanding each

other's situation and circum-

stances is key. Be proactive in

creating a better understand-

ing of personal or familiar

circumstances that may affect

the work. Relationships pave

the way for mutual understand-

ing and commitment, which

are key enablers of results

● Approach challenges related

to concrete tasks, culture or

other in an active manner and

be vocal about it

Consider opportunities

for flexible working hours

to accommodate special

circumstances

● Consider opportunities

to accommodate practical

inconveniences and

challenging circumstances,

e.g. flexible working hours due

to potentially long transport

time, or enable the employees

to engage in social activities

outside of work to free up

energy for language training

in the evenings

Utilise opportunities for a

training period to map skill sets

and to assess development

opportunities

● One opportunity could be

an unpaid internship, which

provides a better opportu-

nity to assess current skills

and development opportunities

● A "free" training period

compensates for longer,

consistent training

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Competence matching in the Job Zone at Velkomstfesten 2016

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Our own experiences and lessons learnt

In the process of hiring a person who has entered the country as a refugee and who is still adjusting to a new language, a new culture and new ways of working, different challenges are bound to arise. However, our own experiences at QVARTZ show that many of these challenges do not conform to previously held expectations. Generally, bureau-cracy is not as large an obstacle as is often feared, while balancing expectations is a crucial ingredient for success.

From the outset, we knew very little about the process of hiring a refugee or asylum seeker as an in-tern, and went in more or less headfirst – anticipating challenging bureaucracy and time-consuming admin-istrative processes. It may have been a rather naïve strategy, but driven by curiosity and an eagerness to help and learn, we maintained a mindset of "better try and do something wrong, than do nothing".

Don't fear bureaucracy, just do itFor QVARTZ, the process of hiring interns was actually quite simple. We had met some interesting candidates through our collaboration with Tram-poline House and a couple of Red Cross Refugee Camps, and simply invited the candidates to our office for a job interview. Beforehand, we had made an initial assessment based on the candidates' CVs and educational backgrounds. Soon after, the formal process with the asylum centre and the job centre in the municipality commenced. Without any ma-jor difficulties, QVARTZ was able to add two new colleagues as interns to our marketing and finance departments. The help from the asylum centre and job centre was a critical component, and QVARTZ experienced good guidance and advice followed by an open and honest dialogue, which helped both in the initial hiring process and throughout the intern-ships, making the administrative tasks rather simple and straightforward.

Balance expectations to create a true matchWith time, it became clear that we might just have moved a bit too fast in the beginning. We had not been sufficiently clear on our own expectations to the internship and the required capabilities and

skills for each position, as well as what was realistic considering the background of the candidates. Some tasks proved to be too simple for our two interns, while others were too complex for them to handle. Furthermore, it proved difficult to assess the level, quality and content of a foreign education or job experience, meaning that we had to invest more in on-the-job and formal training than what had been expected.

In terms of expectations, focus should not only be on education and skills. Motivation and values are equally important, and next time around, we will use more detailed interview questions to ensure that there is also the best possible cultural fit and sense of belonging, allowing us to supply the right opportunities for personal growth and integration for the refugees.

Be attentive and supportive in order to ensure a successful startAt QVARTZ, we do not see ourselves as an organisa-tion, but as a civilisation – encompassing our appre-ciative interaction with each other, the integrity and individual accountability of each civilisation member, and the generosity we have for purposes greater than the individual short-term benefit. In the process of integrating a new colleague from a complete-ly different culture and background, this concept turned out to be rather helpful, as a civilisation is a somewhat larger context to fit into than an organisa-tion – and something you can actively shape trough personal contributions and participation.

From day one, as with every other new member of the QVARTZ civilisation, our interns were appointed a compañero - a go-to person who welcomes any questions that might arise from being a new employ-ee, and who provides support on practical matters as well as personal development. Having a mentor was a large benefit – both as a means for QVARTZ to help with all the small practical questions – but also for the interns who got frequent sparring and assistance to help understand the new work culture and work assignments.

Matching expectations and surpassing language barriers are bigger challenges than navigating cultural differences and bureaucracy

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Prepare for the right challenges

It requires dedication to understand different cul-tures and get everyone to engage with the new members of the civilisation. From both sides, suc-cessful integration requires frequent interactions and meaningful conversations, where colleagues show a genuine interest in the newcomers. Inviting the new colleagues to social gatherings, being prepared for open dialogues and giving them concrete oppor-tunities to share their reflections are good starting points.

While English is the official language in QVARTZ and the primary language of communication for many members of our civilisation, some understanding of Danish turned out to be necessary for one of our interns to solve certain specialised tasks. Providing on-the-job language classes to the refugees in both Danish and English was a great help in the collabora-tion, and language is something to be aware of in the matching process, even in an a company with English as the official language.

Find relevant partners to create long-term opportunitiesWhile we were not successful in creating long-lasting employment for our two interns at QVARTZ, every-one involved learnt a lot from the process, and we

would not hesitate to do it again. As in all other em-ployment situations, the level of success comes down to the quality of the match between the employer and the employee, and it is heavily dependent on the chemistry, will and motivation from both sides. With the experiences we have gained, we are now better equipped to spot the right competence match in the first place as well as to create the optimal conditions for it to flourish.

Next time, QVARTZ will spend more time on initial expectation management and be very clear on own requirements to competences, motivation and lan-guage. However, most importantly, we will continue to rely on – and cherish – the good efforts from the asylum centre, job centre, places like the Trampoline House, welcoming colleagues, passionate mentors and team leaders.

A great experienceUnfortunately for QVARTZ and our two interns, the competence match did not result in a long-lasting employment agreement, but it was a great experi-ence and we are now ready to try again – and we be-lieve that our two interns are now better positioned for a long-lasting job at another company.

Matching expectations

Language

Culture

Bureaucracy

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Go the extra mile

In the course of mapping the issues related to inte-grating refugees into the Danish workforce, we have met with a number of other companies as well as refugees. The conversations have revealed a strong willingness among all parties to go the extra mile in order to achieve a competence match and, better yet, long-lasting employment. However, untold ex-pectations on both sides can inhibit the development of a strong working relationship.

As with all matches between an employer and a new employee, turning an initial competence match into lasting employment is dependent on trust and man-aging expectations. This can be particularly challeng-ing to develop when the employer and the employee come from different cultural backgrounds and with expectations that they may not even initially be aware of themselves.

Our interviews and dialogues disclose two overall, general pleads among refugees and employers:

Refugees ask: "Don't pity me – but be patient"The refugees we have spoken to express a strong desire to work – both to gain self-sufficiency and to contribute to their new country. Several expressed a need to assert that they do not wish to be hired out of pity – but that they hope to be met with an understanding of the difficulties they may experience when adjusting to a new work place.

An implicit risk expressed among some of our in-terviewees was losing one's own initiative because of the long processing times at asylum centres and when seeking a residency permit. Those who were able to establish a network through mentoring programmes or civil society projects (e.g. Trampo-line House) described a greater sense of empower-ment in their new country. This was due to concrete opportunities that arose through the people they met – as well as practical advice about Danish work culture and untold expectations that enabled them to navigate more easily when starting a new job.

Companies ask: "Be forthcoming about both needs and ambitions"Some aspects of Danish culture are paradoxical – or at least may seem that way to newcomers. Danes prefer honesty, but are fairly reserved, and only share personal details in selected settings. For companies, this balance is difficult to communicate to new em-ployees for whom it is in no way obvious. However, it is an essential piece of the puzzle for companies who want to understand the needs of new employees – and especially ones whose background they have little understanding of.

When asked about the largest obstacles to suc-cessful employment of refugees, the companies we have spoken to have highlighted cultural barriers, mixed levels of motivation and work undone. These obstacles all emphasise the importance of an open dialogue and alignment on roles and responsibilities. Hence, speaking up – whether instructions are un-clear, or if circumstances outside of work are affect-ing performance – is vital to nourish mutual under-standing and alignment.

Creating a level playing fieldTo end up with not only a competence match, but also a long-lasting employment engagement, both the companies and the refugees in most cases need to go an extra mile or two to make it happen. Cre-ating a level playing field for the refugees will - as a point of departure - need to be driven by the com-panies, but with the significant potential upside of gaining new competences, a more diverse culture and growth.

Long-lasting relationships between companies and refugees requires an open dialogue about expectations – but our own conversations with both

sides of the equation unravels plenty of shared ground

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Speaking franklyRefugees ask for help to become part of the workplace and to receive instructions a little more carefully the first time around, while companies want a clear dialogue about motivational factors and needs

I want to prove myself, but I know it will take a little

time to build that trust. I think it is important for an

employer to know that

I was a midwife for 20 years in Syria, and I was really good at my job. I miss it a lot.

I would like to study for a new diploma in Denmark,

because no one will hire me with the papers I have, but I'm

not sure how to go about it

My boss explained that in Danish work culture, you should

just ask and not be ashamed when there is something you don't

understand – I can really feel that. Whenever I have a problem

with carrying out a task, my team is always helpful and patient

I think all employees want to do the best they can, but sometimes they misunderstand

people who are new to Denmark... I think the employer should try to understand their employee's

situation and take extra care with explaining things in

the beginning.

Refugee from Afghanistan, studying for her master's degree and looking for a student job

Refugee from Afghanistan, studying for her master's degree and working at a large Danish company

Refugee from Syria, currently looking for a job

Refugee from Syria, finishing his pre-qualifying exams and working at a restaurant

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In the interview process, it was important for us to understand

the motivation – the refugees have to show that they are motivated

and ready for specific tasks

A lot of the potential lies in an open dialogue,

otherwise there is a high risk of misunderstandings – we need to be honest about

our expectations to each other

Language is just really important – they

should really invest time and energy

in learning Danish

We would like the refugees to share their stories and let us help

if past experiences affect their work life

Mid-size company, Copenhagen

Mid-size company, Copenhagen

Small company, Western Jutland

Large company, Copenhagen

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Cooking at Trampoline House

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Looking for new talentQVARTZ is growing and so is our need for a diverse range of competences to strengthen our civilisation. if YOU ARE interested in joining US, please apply via qvartz.com/career or send an email to New-game-plan@qvartz.com

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1 Udlændinge- og integrationsministeriet: Tal på udlændingeområdet pr. 31.03.2017

2 Styrelsen for Arbejdsmarked og Rekruttering – Deltagere i Sammen om integration: http://star.dk/da/Indsatser-og-ordninger/Virksomhedsser vice-og-rekruttering/Sammen-om-integration/Deltagere-i-sammen-om-integration.aspx

3 Udlændinge- og integrationsministeriet: Seneste tal for integrationsgrunduddannelsen (IGU), http://uim.dk/nyheder/2017-04/copy_of_se neste-tal-for-integrationsgrunduddannelsen-igu, besøgt 10. maj 2017

4 Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening – Flere flygtninge kommer ud på virksomhederne, http://www.agen da.dk/2016/11/flere-flygtninge-paa-virksomheder/

5 2015 figures from 3F and Jobindsats, referred to in Jyllands Posten, Dec. 2016 (http://jyllands-pos ten.dk/indland/ECE9217857/virksomhedsprak-tik-er-ikke-et-mirakelmiddel/)

References

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CONTACT Flemming Pedersenflemming.pedersen@qvartz.com +45 25 47 29 28

www.qvartz.com