Steam Whistle, Capgemini among recent employers taking advantage of immigrant Job Developers Network

June 2, 2010
Yonge Street

Edward Keenan

Valentina Nekozachenko has a three-year graduate diploma in accounting and finance from Russia — and experience in accounting administration with a restaurant firm overseas and a non-profit here in Canada. Recently she was hired to join the Steam Whistle Brewing company as an accounting coordinator.

That fits in well with Steam Whistle’s track record — according to a Financial Post article last year, “Steam Whistle’s devotion to diversity in the workplace saw it win the Immigrant Success Award in 2008 for hiring skilled immigrants and it has twice been nominated for Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures.” Nekozachenko’s hiring was thanks to the assistance of Skills for Change, a non-profit employment agency that is part of the CASIP Job Developers Network.

The Job Developers Network is perhaps an under-appreciated tool for employers. According to the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council [TRIEC] — which co-founded the network — it “provid[es] GTA employers with cost-effective and coordinated recruitment and human resources services for hiring skilled immigrants.” The developers share job postings across a network and give employers access to a large pool of pre-screened talent, and work with company HR departments and hiring managers to find candidates for job openings quickly, filling a role that might otherwise be performed by a costly headhunter. Employers pay no fees to the non-profit agencies in the network.

According to information supplied by TRIEC, Capgemini has recently hired three network referrals: a supply chain specialist, a senior IT analyst and a help desk agent. Capgemini also prides itself on a track record of diversity — it’s website claims, “Diversity at Capgemini is one way we recognize the value and strength found in the individual perspectives and life’s experiences that each of us brings to share.”

Contact TRIEC to learn about how your company can tap into the Job Developers Network to find qualified skilled immigrant talent.

Reference: Yonge Street