Spotlight on Success

Diverse perspectives, out-of-the-box thinking, innovative ways of doing things, resilience, determination, commitment…these are just a few of the ways that hiring refugees can bring value to an organization. When the employee/employer match works – when a new hire brings in the skills, talent, and drive that align with the employer’s own needs, values, and future ambitions – it can truly be a win-win situation for everyone. 

TD has sponsored this ad content.

Hiring Diverse Talent Matters: Rashmi’s Story (TD Bank Group)

A perspective from Rashmi Vohra, Associate Vice President, Colleague Capabilities, Customer and Employee Experience, TD on hiring Sajad Naderi during the Jumpstart Refugee Talent (Jumpstart) 2023 Toronto Hiring Event. These are her thoughts, as told to Jumpstart:

Hiring diverse talent at TD isn’t about paying lip service to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by checking a box. It’s in our DNA. We have made a deep-seated commitment to helping our colleagues achieve a true sense of belonging by providing opportunities so all colleagues can work to reach their full potential.

In addition to my role in customer and colleague experiences at the Bank, I also represent TD as the Co-Chair of the federal Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable, led by Senator Ratna Omidvar. Here, I collaborate with industry experts to help provide guidance and help work towards achieving the Roundtable’s core objective: Helping to deliver meaningful jobs for refugees.

The Roundtable recently launched the second edition of the #WelcomingEconomy for Refugees campaign, an effort that highlights the social and economic contributions and successes of refugees who have settled in Canada. As part of this campaign, Jumpstart Refugee Talent (Jumpstart) is amplifying stories of refugees who have settled in Canada and the perspectives of hiring managers who are investing in diverse talent.

When newcomers land in Canada, they bring with them their unique experiences and ideas. I’m a firm believer that people from diverse communities bring invaluable perspectives to the table, and this not only makes good business sense but also reflects the diverse communities we serve.

At TD, we are committed to supporting community organizations that are focused on rethinking skills development to help nurture a more inclusive economy. With this work, our hope is that more new Canadians will be able to prepare for the jobs and careers of tomorrow.

TD works with numerous organizations to help newcomers with employment and mentorship, by participating in career fairs and delivering job-related workshops. In June 2022, TD participated in the Jumpstart Black Recruitment Fair, and also that year, the Bank hosted a DEI career fair in Toronto, with 73 invited hiring managers from Branch Banking, which provided the opportunity to network with diverse talent for roles in-Branch. This event was a great success and led to 16 hires by TD.

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, over the next three years, Canada expects to welcome almost 1.5 million new immigrants – in addition to international students and temporary foreign workers. TD believes it is  crucial that employers and businesses see this as an opportunity – both in terms of talent recruitment, but also to broaden the diverse customer bases they have. Through our role as one of Canada’s top employers, TD plays an important role in hiring diverse communities across our global footprint.

At TD, we also know that representation matters. Our customers, as well as current and future talent, want to see people who look like them working at the Bank. For talent, this is especially important as they strive to develop meaningful careers.

Representation can help build credibility, connection, and long-lasting relationships, and it can inspire positivity and help us take meaningful action throughout our DEI journey.

The way we value DEI at TD is reflected in our approach to leadership and customer experience, and in how we recruit new talent like Sajad Naderi.

I first met Sajad at his Branch in Mississauga and right away, noticed his inspiring commitment to his career and overall growth. During this initial meeting, Sajad opened up about his innate purpose to give back to new Canadians with similar experiences by helping to support them in various ways, including acting as a translator. I could also see that in his everyday approach to work and to life, Sajad was not only approachable and empathetic but also possessed international banking experience with a deep interest in business development.

Sajad attended the Jumpstart Toronto Hiring Event in the fall of 2023 with the hope of making meaningful connections with a future employer. After a successful interview process at TD, Sajad was hired as a Customer Experience Associate a few weeks later. Soon after starting the role, Sajad was quickly recognized for his services and contributions.

As a proud South Asian woman with a diverse background who works at TD, I continue to advocate for others to help them achieve their potential at work and in my community. At TD, I am supported with growth and development opportunities by my own leaders and peers and know my diverse experiences are welcomed and encouraged at the Bank. This is why I am confident Sajad will continue to be successful in his career at TD. I am proud to know he will continue to grow as a fellow TD colleague.

I connected with my colleague Cristina Radu, District Vice President in Mississauga, to learn more about her perspective on the Bank’s commitment to DEI and our work with organizations like Jumpstart. She reinforced the opportunity we have to make a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.

“In our Mississauga market, we have the privilege of serving a vibrant, diverse community, where we focus on making an impact through community outreach efforts, such as volunteering, supporting local community organizations through the in-Branch TD Gives program, and financial literacy and fraud prevention seminars. We also actively work to attract diverse talent, representative of the communities we serve. Newcomers bring a wealth of experience and transferrable skills, and we look forward to welcoming them to TD, where we hope they will be able to build on their knowledge and experience and build successful and rewarding careers,” Cristina said.

When connecting with potential talent who came to Canada as refugees, empathy, encouragement, and support are three key ingredients to a successful networking and hiring approach.

At TD, we aspire to help people feel more confident about their financial futures, so they can meet their goals in a changing world. From my experience on the Roundtable and as a people manager and leader at TD, my advice to other hiring managers is to lean in, engage, and amplify to help develop future talent from all diverse backgrounds.

Regardless of where they’re from, people want to feel empowered and confident during their job search and career journey, and this starts with networking at events like the Jumpstart 2023 Toronto Hiring Event that Sajad attended.  I am proud to support Sajad’s career journey at TD and know that we will have many more stories like his to tell.

To learn more about Jumpstart, hiring Refugee Talent, and the Welcoming Economy campaign, please visit welcomingeconomy.ca.