From the Newcomers & Work Platform, where we support initiatives that guide newcomers to paid employment, we see that access to informal networks and a strong connection with newcomers are prerequisites for making an impact. But what are the benefits of these connections for you as an employer, organization, or policy maker? And how do you put these connections into practice? To answer these questions, the Newcomers & Work Platform organized a webinar on July 1, 2021, entitled "The importance of connecting with informal networks and communities of newcomers," in which we spoke with various experts (watch the webinar here). In this three-part series of articles, we look back at the importance of connectedness, the conditions for access to informal networks and communities, and the building blocks that make this access sustainable. Read part 1 of this series: What are the benefits of being connected to informal networks or communities as an employer, organization, or policy maker?
Pathway to work
A diverse candidate pool, effective guidance, and more sustainable results
From our experience with the Platform, we know that initiatives that guide newcomers into employment benefit greatly from connections with informal networks and communities. Why should you, as a social organization or employer, establish these connections?
Firstly, connecting with informal networks or communities increases the chance of diversifying your pool of candidates. Abdel Harchaoui, director of DOK030 and project leader of two initiatives that we support as a Platform, can attest to this: "Being connected to informal networks is the key to success in recruiting enough candidates." With his organization DOK030, he helps newcomers find jobs in the hospitality or digital sectors, among others. Abdel prefers to let connections with informal networks of newcomers develop organically. In his work as a director, he has a lot of contact with other entrepreneurs and newcomers. To find suitable participants for his initiatives, he told his contacts what he was planning and asked around to see if they knew any newcomers who might be interested. A connection with a newcomer he had helped set up his own ICT training institute provided the solution: through his network, he was able to recruit enough candidates who were interested in a work-study program in the digital sector.
In addition, being connected to informal networks also contributes to building trust. This is an important condition for successful cooperation and for guiding newcomers to work in a sustainable manner. At Stichting De Werkshop, a foundation that guides various target groups to work, they know all about this. By staying close to the target group, they build trust with their participants: "We try to speak the participants' language, both literally and figuratively. That means we speak at their language level, but above all we look at 'who are you and what do you need?', says Dajwad, project assistant at Stichting De Werkshop. Djawad knows from experience that imposing your own vision does not work. If you look for vacancies that do not match the needs of the participants, there will be no sustainable transition to work.
Accessibility and new perspectives
Organizations that provide services to newcomers or develop policies for newcomers would also do well to connect with informal networks or communities of newcomers. The underlying idea here is that the people for whom you are providing the service or developing the policy should be included as experts, with experiences and ideas to learn from.
"We know that newcomers are at greater risk of health problems and therefore need to use healthcare services more often, but we don't see them and we don't know exactly what's going on," is something Inge Goorts, project leader and advisor on the health of status holders at Pharos, often hears from healthcare professionals. As an organization, it is important to be accessible to your target group. If you don't know why your target group is unable to find you as an organization, collaborating with a key person can offer a solution.
Inge explains: "Key persons are people who have fled or migrated to the Netherlands themselves and know very well what other newcomers need here to feel good and healthy and how they can be guided through the Dutch healthcare system." By deploying key individuals as an organization, you can use informal networks to identify the obstacles experienced by newcomers in that network. You can then use this feedback to adapt your working methods and become more accessible to your target group.
Added value of informal networks
Tamer Allaloush, community manager at OpenEmbassy, is also aware of the added value of connecting with informal networks and communities of newcomers. As community manager, he regularly organizes expert pool sessions with municipalities. Newcomers and long-term residents from different regions come together to discuss a specific topic on which policymakers would like to receive advice. Based on their own experiences and those of people in their network, the expert pool provides advice to the municipality. According to Tamer, the expert pool sessions offer municipalities a new perspective. He often hears the comment: "That's actually quite obvious, but we had no idea." As a municipal organization, you can sometimes have blind spots. By connecting with informal networks and communities, you become more aware of the impact that policy can have on people and where the needs of those for whom you are making the policy lie.
Want to hear and see more?
This article is based on the webinar "The importance of connecting with informal networks and communities of newcomers" and is available online here.
Want to read more?
Curious about how to gain access to informal networks and communities of newcomers? You can read about that in part 2 of this series. We also wrote this article based on the insights from the webinar.
Experts
Abdel Harchaou, director and one of the founders of DOK030 in Utrecht
Djawad Ahmadi, project assistant at Stichting De Werkshop
Inge Goorts, project leader and advisor on Health for Status Holders at Pharos
Tamer Allaloush, community manager at OpenEmbassy
Aisha Ahmed, community manager at the Welcome App
Emmylou Aben, founder of Pitztop
Mohammed Badran, founder of the Syrian Volunteers in The Netherlands
Maja Coric, one of the founders of the Refugee Ambassadors Foundation / OpenEmbassy
Hassan Mahamed, one of the founders of Saeda Foundation
Jamal Chrifi, project leader for education & labor market at Movisie
