Canada is projected to welcome close to 1.5 million immigrants over the next three years. This presents a potential opportunity for growth, as talented professionals will be joining the country. However, newcomers often encounter significant obstacles when trying to join the workforce. Ontario recently introduced legislation that would ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience, which is a step in the right direction. That said, legislation alone is not enough. To integrate newcomers more quickly, we should understand cultural differences and how they impact workplace communication.
Many newcomers struggle with advocating for themselves. In Canada, it’s expected that you have to ask for what you want. You can advance by finding opportunities and showing your supervisors the value you bring.
As a cross-cultural communications coach and facilitator, I have led many workshops in non-profit organizations and talked one-on-one with clients and newcomer professionals on LinkedIn. Often, I start the conversations with discussing their experiences, especially in looking for jobs and making connections.
I noticed that they mainly networked on LinkedIn by sending connection requests. If the requests were accepted, they might exchange a few messages. However, the messages would eventually stop.
I asked them how many times they talked on the phone or online with their new connections. They said they never did. They never tried to start a conversation.
“I felt this person is too important and busy to talk to me,” an engineer from India told me. He said he didn’t want to seem arrogant.
This sticking point makes it hard for many international professionals to find work or advance in their careers. They may come from societies where it is seen as arrogant to speak up or share opinions if you are in a lower position. For them, it is best to let your work speak for itself.
In contrast, Canada has a fairly flat hierarchy. People in Canada use first or full names instead of honorifics. You also have to ask for what you want. Although the management style can vary depending on the organization, in general you are expected to ask for opportunities. As the proverb says, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
These cultural differences lead to confusion. They also lead to lost opportunities. As coaches, we should help clients understand the importance of sharing achievements and goals instead of relying solely on work outputs. Clients can learn that it’s not boasting, but rather communicating their value.
Miguel Abascal is an immigrant who came to Canada in 2010. On my podcast, Intercultural Insiders, Miguel shared a painful lesson from his early years in Canada.
“As coaches, we should help clients understand the importance of sharing achievements and goals instead of relying solely on work outputs.”
“I come from a culture where if you work like crazy, at some point, somebody is going to notice and … tell you, now you do this, or this is your next level.”
Miguel followed this line of thinking and worked hard in an entry-level position, but he was confused when he didn’t get promoted.
“I felt that my superpower was to be invisible,” he reflected, “because even though I was working crazy hours and delivering so much, nothing was working.”
Miguel had had enough. He spoke to his supervisors and he was baffled by the response.
“These managers say, ‘Oh, I was not aware you were looking for a promotion.'”
Because Miguel never talked to his supervisors, they thought he was happy where he was. This represented almost six years of missed opportunities due to a cultural misunderstanding.
So, what can we learn from this?
To start, HR partners and people leaders overseeing newcomer professionals should explain why it’s important to share achievements and goals for career growth. Proactively set up one-to-one meetings with your team members and teach them to share until they are comfortable doing it themselves.
It may take some time for them to get used to this idea, but the benefits will be worth it. You will not only get to know your employees better, but also assist them in being fully attuned to Canadian work culture and growing as professionals.
As mentioned earlier, coaches and other career development professionals can guide their clients toward greater self-advocacy. They can also help their clients shift to considering interviewers and other HR professionals as potential partners rather than as superiors to whom they must defer. This will help them to project confidence, making a difference in communications before, during and after the interview process.
It is also vital that career development practitioners, including HR professionals and leaders, consider their own cultural biases and how these affect their decisions. Encouraging open dialogue in safe spaces is important. One way to start the process is by working with a cross-cultural specialist who uses tools such as the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). The IDI can highlight cultural biases and blind spots, raising awareness to lead to more informed discussions.
By following these steps, we can make sure that international professionals and organizations benefit equally.
