Does Diversity and Inclusion Include Immigrants? Employer and Skilled Newcomer Perspectives

We examined the role that employers play in skilled immigrants’ employment integration by bringing the experiences of newcomers together with the insights of Canadian employers. Our results indicate that most employers do not have coordinated policies or practices in place to promote equity for disadvantaged job seekers or employees. Even those with D&I initiatives do not explicitly include immigrants as a group warranting special accommodation. We thus offer practical recommendations for organizations, critique the narrow lens through which immigrant employment is examined, and point to the need for more interdisciplinary research to incorporate the voices of all stakeholders.