To help businesses realise the benefits of hiring refugees, the CIPD Trust has published a new guide to support businesses in recruitment and retention. Although refugees form a significant part of UK society, they often face major barriers in the job market.
Refugees in the UK
There are approximately 480,000 refugees living in the UK according to the UNHCR. Asylum seekers come from various nationalities, with Afghan, Syrian, Sudanese and Iranian applicants among the most common. The majority wait more than a year for a decision on their refugee status and, according to Breaking Barriers (a charity supporting refugee employment), one in 20 endures delays of more than a decade. Most asylum seekers do not have the right to work whilst waiting for a decision on their application.
Challenges faced by refugees in the UK job market
Once granted refugee status, and able to work, many individuals face barriers to securing employment, including:
- language barriers;
- employment gaps on CVs due to the lengthy process of seeking asylum;
- holding qualifications that the UK does not recognise;
- lack of understanding of the UK job market; and
- cultural differences.
As a result of these challenges, many refugees must take work that does not reflect their skills and qualifications, resulting in lower pay. According to the Commission on the Integration of Refugees survey (2024), 34% of respondents said they never get to use the skills learned through their qualifications and 39% reported taking jobs at a lower entry level compared to their role before arriving in the UK.
What can employers do?
The guide provides some key recommendations for employers looking to support refugees at all stages of the employment process:
- Recruitment
- Use straightforward language in job advertisements, avoiding jargon, to limit language barriers.
- Allow for qualification differences.
- Train recruiters and interviewers to recognise refugee-specific challenges.
- Integration
- Assign buddies or mentors to help new employees make connections with colleagues.
- Make adjustments during probation periods to ensure new employees have time to adapt and receive ample feedback.
- Provide language training and role-specific upskilling.
- Retention
- Make refugee hiring a standard part of diversity policies and workplace practices.
- Create employee networks for support.
- Challenge recruitment biases through training and success case studies.
What are the benefits for employers?
The CIPD guide highlights the array of benefits for employers hiring refugees including:
- growing a resilient and diverse workforce;
- higher retention rates;
- enhancing their own reputation for social responsibility; and
- solving issues with labour shortages.
By implementing some of the recommendations from this guide, employers can access a skilled and motivated talent pool, benefiting both their own business and the wider economy.
