The recruitment cycle

2. Sourcing

Targeting a new pool of candidates

When looking for jobs, refugees are very likely to use job centres. This is their main job search method which is twice the rate of unemployed UK born citizens. Unfamiliarity of the UK job market means that they might also not know about some of the online job boards. 

If you are interested in developing a pipeline of candidates, it’s good to consider working with the local and regional partners. They will be able to connect you with refugee communities. They could also help with things like candidates pre-screening, translation support and more. 

• Identify a contact at your local job centre. You might consider running a sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) in partnership with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).  For details, refer to 'What can your business do' section of this toolkit
• Establish a relationship with the local refugee support organisations.
• Try advertising directly to refugee communities:
  • Look for local community magazines, radio stations and social media groups 
  • Consider translating job adverts into local languages (a partner organisation might be able to advise you on which ones would be most suitable in your area). Perhaps your existing employees know additional languages and could help with the process as well.
  • Consider supporting and attending local festivals