hr practice
An accountant from England who was born in India shares
his frustrations of searching for a job in Canada. Finally,
in desperation, he asked a hiring manager, “Do you have
debits in Canada? Do you have credits in Canada?” The
hiring manager eventually understood that being an accountant in
England is not that different from being an accountant in Canada
and offered him a job.
That hiring manager showed good sense, but many employ-ers
are still rejecting applicants because they do not have
Canadian experience.
The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council was
founded in 2003 because there was real concern at that time that
immigrant talent in the region (the Greater Toronto Area) was
going to waste. The story of the doctor driving a cab was all too
familiar, and all too real.
Fifteen years later, the organization wanted to know if things
have got better for immigrants. Are the region’s newcomers still
struggling in survival jobs when they should be finding meaningful
employment where they can use their education, skills and expe-rience?
As such, a new report was commissioned and published
aleutie/123RF
Canadian Experience
(Not) Required
IT’S TIME FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO REMOVE THIS DATED REQUIREMENT
By Margaret Eaton
A strict requirement for Canadian experience has been deemed prima facie discrimination by OHRC
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ FEBRUARY 2019 ❚ 15
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