Rosalind Evans
Global corporations such as Amazon, Marriott, and Hilton committed on Monday to employ over 13,000 refugees, including Ukrainian women displaced due to the conflict with Russia, in Europe over the next three years.
In anticipation of World Refugee Day on Tuesday, more than 40 companies have declared their intention to employ, facilitate employment, or provide training to 250,000 refugees. Thirteen thousand six hundred eighty of these refugees are set to be directly used by these companies.
“Every figure signifies a unique family story of leaving everything behind in search of safety, protection, and a desire to rebuild their lives quickly,” stated Kelly Clements, U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. “Hence, the commitments made by businesses on Monday are incredibly crucial.”
According to her, there are approximately 110 million displaced individuals globally, with around 12 million from Ukraine. Almost half of these reside in Europe, marking the continent’s most significant refugee movement since World War II.
The European hiring initiative was coordinated by the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a non-profit established by Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya that bridges the gap between businesses and refugees. The industry is being announced at a convention in Paris. Last year, the organization’s inaugural summit in the U.S. led to pledges to hire 22,725 refugees.
Amazon has committed to employing at least 5,000 refugees in Europe over the next three years in the latest initiative. Marriott and Hilton follow, pledging 1,500 each, while Starbucks and ISS will employ 1,000 each. Companies such as Adidas, L’Oreal, PepsiCo, and Hyatt have also pledged to hire refugees.
“Adding diversity to our workforce is a boon for us as it continues to make us a more robust company,” said Ofori Agboka, Amazon’s Vice President overseeing Human Resources. “Diversity fosters innovation, creativity, and varied insights.”
He shared that most jobs would be hourly roles in fulfillment and storage centers, as well as in transportation and delivery.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced 27,000 job cuts, primarily affecting salaried office jobs, as part of a wave of layoffs after tech companies escalated hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Daria Sedihi-Volchenko, a Kyiv refugee now working as a senior program manager for an Amazon Web Services initiative providing free tech training for Ukrainians in Warsaw, Poland, estimates that about 40% of program participants lack a tech background.
A year ago, Sedihi-Volchenko experienced the life-altering moment of waking up to the sounds of Russia’s invasion.
She ended up in Poland, seeking work and shifting her career towards IT after serving as a project manager for government ministries and as an economist in Ukraine.
With economies rebounding post-pandemic, companies hope refugees can meet their staffing needs. In Europe, unemployment is at its lowest level since the introduction of the euro currency in 1999.
“We are seeing unprecedented demand for our properties across various European markets,” said Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott International. “We are hiring robustly to ensure we can cater to our guests as demand escalates.”
Marriott’s job openings will predominantly be hourly roles such as housekeepers, kitchen staff, and front desk attendants.
While European nations have welcomed Ukrainians, Clements emphasized that the same opportunities should be provided to individuals fleeing conflicts and crises in other countries like Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
Sedihi-Volchenko understands refugees’ challenges, even when companies offer assistance with language skills, counselling, and training. She underscores the need for patience to allow refugees to learn the language while they begin working.
“It’s vital to provide refugees the time to learn the language, but they can start working as their previous experience with IT systems, finance, project management, or any other field naturally allows them to understand the workflow, irrespective of the language barrier,” she said.
The commitment of these multinational corporations to employ refugees is a significant step forward for the global refugee crisis. While there will be challenges along the way, the combined efforts of these companies could make a tangible difference in the lives of refugees, enabling them to rebuild their lives in their new countries. This initiative not only adds diversity to the workforce but also addresses labour shortages in Europe, creating a win-win situation for all involved. As this process unfolds, the world will watch to see the long-term impact of such large-scale commitments on both the refugees and the companies affected.
