This story appears in the
May 1998 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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The United States has long been a haven to immigrants and
refugees, many of whom don't speak English but who need jobs
while they learn the language and adjust to American life. Hiring
these workers not only helps them get on their feet but, in this
tight labor market, may also help you fill some badly needed
positions, says Peter Bickford, human resources director for Barber
Foods, a poultry processor in Portland, Maine.
Barber Foods has more than quadrupled its work force in the past
decade. In addition to U.S.-born workers, the company employs
people from Vietnam, Cambodia, Ethiopia, the former Yugoslavia
and the former Soviet Union, among others.
Bickford points out that many immigrants and refugees are well
educated and have desirable job skills, and most speak at least a
nominal amount of English. He suggests first determining the
minimum language skills you require so employees can work safely
and respond to basic instructions. Then contact your local adult
education center or the refugee resettlement organization in your
area (many are operated by the Catholic Social Service or may be
found by calling the closest office of the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service) and let them know what types of employees
you're looking for. They'll help you find appropriate
people and set up training for them to become proficient in
English.
An added bonus to hiring immigrants and refugees comes in the
area of diversity. "Forty-three percent of our work force was
not born in this country," Bickford says, "which means
that cultural diversity in our company is self-building and
self-perpetuating." Such diversity, he adds, is professionally
and individually enriching.
Contact Sources
Barber Foods, P.O. Box 4821, Portland, ME 04112,
(207) 772-1934, ext. 365