15. Chris Chancey on Why Hiring Refugees is Good Business

Purpose and Profit with Kathy Varol

Chris Chancey is the Founder and CEO of Amplio Recruiting, the only certified B Corp staffing agency. Amplio Recruiting helps companies hire from the refugee community. At a time when many companies find themselves short-staffed, Amplio Recruiting offers an interesting way to diversify the workforce while impacting lives and communities at the same time.

I want to share some statistics and a personal story that will shed light on why I’m so excited about the work Chris does.

Globally we’ve never had more displaced people than we do right now. Displaced people count both refugees - those who have crossed an international border - and internally displaced people (IDP), those that have been displaced within their home country.

At the end of 2020 the number of displaced people was estimated at 82.4 million. That means, 1 in every 95 people on Earth has fled their home as a result of conflict or persecution.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, among the globally displaced are nearly 26.4 million , around half of whom are children under the age of 18.

The scale of this humanitarian crisis is hard to comprehend, and it hits close to home.

I am the daughter of a refugee.

My father and his family spent 3 years searching for safety during WWII (my Aunt was literally born in a barn along the way), followed by 2 years in a refugee camp before coming to the United States when my father was 7 years old. Once resettled, the journey of learning a new language and adjusting to a new country began.

My grandparents were, fortunately, able to get work. My grandmother worked cleaning office buildings after hours, and my grandfather got a job in a Nabisco factory.

Work is an important part of dignity, identity, stability, and personal agency.

If you’re interested in learning how to diversify your own workforce through hiring refugees, you can find information on Amplio’s Diversity Consulting Services here. You are also welcome to connect with Chris directly by emailing him.

In this episode we cover:

• The unexpected paths revealed when we choose to lean in with curiosity to things we’re unfamiliar with
• How Amplio Recruiting has been able to achieve a 90% full-time hire rate for placed staff
• The importance of personal networks and the power of storytelling

Key Takeaways:

• I’m struck by the importance of language. As Chris mentioned, there’s a huge difference when talking to companies about roadblocks versus hurdles. Words matter. Words prime the way our brains look at a problem. One word might make us feel like a problem is insurmountable, while another might be an exciting invitation to problem solve a solution.
• The importance of networks and community surfaced multiple times during this conversation. Amplio Recruiting has stepped in to create the network that refugees need to find work. I really appreciate that as Amplio looks at businesses to partner with, they vet businesses on their culture and how well a refugee hire will be integrated into the work community.
• As the daughter of a refugee, if you’re in a position to diversify the hiring pool for your company, I strongly urge you to consider how you can add refugees to your workforce. How can you help support one of the most vulnerable populations through employment, and become a stronger company because of it.

References:

• Refugee Workforce: The Economic Case for Hiring the Displaced by Chris Chancey and Katie Gibson
• Read more of Amnobe Pilipili’s story here
• Amplio Ventures
• Businesses for Refugees
• Learn how you can welcome and support Afghan refugees at US

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