Report on Strategic Workforce Planning and IEPs: An Employer Perspective Commissioned by PCPI in conjunction with the 2007 IEP Conference Rhonda Singer, CEO October 19, 2007

Why This Conference Why This Research Connecting IEPs to the system in their chosen career while Raising awareness of the benefits of hiring from this important talent pool

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle Strategic Workforce Planning in relation to the employment of IEPs is an underdeveloped, oftentimes missing area of research Results  4 Major Areas: 1.Survey Demographic Responses 2.IEP Considerations in Workforce Planning 3.Employer Viewpoints on IEP Employment Challenges 4.Developing the Cultural Intelligence of Front-Line Managers

Who Responded  Almost equal representation of public, private and non-profit employers  A broad range of different sizes of employers  Approximately one-quarter of the respondents were large private and public sector organizations operating in the Toronto region 38% 35% Public Sector Private Sector Non-Profit Sector27%

Employers See it Coming  Toronto region employers recognize the importance of immigrants to their business success  17% of respondents are strongly committed to cultural diversity with 70% confirming this goal but expressing challenges  87% of respondents believe that immigrants have a vital and important role in filling their future skills needs Given changing demographics  the aging population and less than replacement birth rate  employers know they must integrate immigrants more quickly into their workplaces.

Interesting That Employers Reveal…  54% either marginally agree or disagree that Canadian experience is critical  60% are relatively neutral on the challenges posed to recruitment by IEP behaviours not in accord with Canadian norms  Nearly 80% consider competency- based interviews effective in hiring IEPs

However, Employers Want A New Approach  Employers report that traditional forms of diversity management are no longer working  Only 50% deem online learning as “moderately effective” in delivering diversity training  Attendance at formal learning workshops and participating in “community practice” sessions are identified as the two most effective ways of training front-line managers

Cultivating ‘Cultural Intelligence’  Hiring and supervisory practices must accommodate the new demographic reality of a hyper- diverse workplace  It is no longer good enough to expect immigrants to adapt to our culture; we now need a balance where both the immigrant and the Canadian workplace adapt to each other Image Credit: Culture Clash digital-library.csun.edu/LatArch/cultureclash/

A Call to Action for Cultural Intelligence!  Everyone from the CEO to those working on the shop floor must be culturally intelligent  Hyper-diversity + Cultural Intelligence = Innovation, Creativity and Increased competitiveness

Thank you For more information please contact: Rhonda Singer