The importance of being connected to informal networks and communities of newcomers seems obvious, but how do you put this into practice?
During the webinar we hosted on July 1, 2021, participants engaged with experts on informal networks and access to communities. Eight key insights emerged from these conversations and presentations:
1. Being connected to informal networks and communities of newcomers is key to success in recruiting new candidates from diverse backgrounds.
For example, work with newcomers with access to various informal networks (also called key persons) to reach the target group. It is important here that these key persons have the freedom to approach the target group in their own way. They speak the language of the target group and know what the target group needs. It also helps if they are role models within the target group.
2. By being close to the target group, you can gain their trust and thus achieve more sustainable results in the pathway to employment.
By becoming aware of the situation the target group is in and showing that you are always there for them, you lay a good foundation for trust. In doing so, look at people not only as "participants," but more importantly as people. For example, you can organize activities where people come together and get to know each other better.
3. Being connected to informal networks and communities of newcomers provides new perspectives for policymakers and agencies.
As an organization, you may have a blind spot for obstacles experienced by your target audience. For example, it may be difficult to reach your target group or sometimes it may be difficult for your target group to find you. By working with key people who have access to informal networks, you as an organization can learn from the experiences of your target group. It is important here to really listen to the needs and feedback of the target group, so that you can then adjust your organization's approach accordingly.
4. Building trust and assuming equality are important idealistic conditions for being connected to informal networks and communities of newcomers.
Any relationship you establish with an informal network must be based on mutual trust and equality. You can achieve this, for example, by involving the informal network in a project from the beginning and providing equal (paid) recognition of their work.
5. Having sufficient resources, such as time, money and space, are important materialistic conditions for connecting with informal networks and communities of newcomers.
Building trust takes time. Trust can only grow when you bring people together and they interact. Money and a physical/online space can make these meetings possible. For example, organizing an informal dinner or bringing people together online through a meet and greet.You can also use money to appropriately recognize people who commit to your organization from an informal network for their work.
6. To make collaboration with informal networks and communities of newcomers sustainable, ensure representation, ownership and equal pay.
Ensure that people from diverse backgrounds are present in all levels of the organization. This way, people will feel represented. You can also give people space to tell their own story and take ownership of their own development. This way, people feel that they themselves have an influence on the final product and will feel more involved. In addition, it is important that people receive equal pay for the work they do. If the work performed brings you something as an organization, there should be compensation in return. For example, you can open up your own network to them and/or offer financial compensation.
7. To make the connection with informal networks and communities of newcomers sustainable, keep in touch with members.
Even after the work is over, organize an occasional meeting day or check in via social media. You can engage with each other on this meeting day and catch up on how things are going and where everyone is now. It can additionally provide an opportunity for members of the informal network to interact with each other. See what you can help each other with to move forward. You can also share knowledge with each other by organizing workshops, for example.
8. To make the connection with informal networks and communities of newcomers sustainable, there must be room for people from the informal network to continue to develop.
Give members of informal networks the opportunity to learn new skills by organizing or offering workshops. In addition, facilitate encounters in which people can get a feel for Dutch society. It is also important to offer people perspective. Make sure that members of informal networks are not expected to always do their work on a voluntary basis, by recognizing their work in an equal way, in the form of a paid job. In this regard, offering internal training or an accredited training or course can be a way to provide perspective and development within the cooperation entered into.
The webinar "The importance of being connected to informal networks and communities of newcomers" is online here to watch back.
This webinar is organized by OpenEmbassy from the Platform Newcomers & Work, which we supported by the Goldschmeding Foundation develop. The Platform aims to get more newcomers into work faster, more sustainably and with an eye for their talents and ambitions. We do this by supporting initiatives that guide newcomers to work with funding, research into active ingredients, knowledge sharing, coaching and community building. And we do so by translating everything we learn from the initiatives into sharable knowledge.
The webinar is one in our series of "systems impact meetings. These aim to engage in structural change in the labor market for newcomers. We believe that access to and good connections with informal networks and communities of newcomers contributes to diversity, more sustainable outflow to work, more inclusive programs and better policies.
