The HIO cross-cultural competency training is designed to equip employers, HR Professionals, and people managers with practical skills, strategies and tools needed to increase cultural competencies and prepare workplaces for a culturally diverse employee base.
Why Cross-Cultural Competency?
There are seven modules in this suite of professional development training sessions. These stand-alone sessions give you the flexibility of choosing the topics of interest to you or most relevant to your workplace. Each session is delivered in a small group setting, by a professional facilitator with expertise in cultural competency.
You will receive a Cross-Cultural Competency Certificate of Training after completing four sessions.
These interactive virtual workshops are delivered via the Zoom platform. Sessions are free, but space is limited. You must register in advance.
—————————————————————
Effectively Onboarding Newcomer Talent
In this workshop, we’ll focus on best practices for newcomer onboarding, ensuring that you’re well equipped to support newcomers feel welcomed and that they experience a smooth transition in their new roles. Very importantly, we’ll also assess existing onboarding processes and ways to improve these and the integration process for new employees.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Identify and apply best practices for effectively onboarding newcomer talent.
- Adopt approaches that make newcomers feel welcomed, a sense of belonging and integrate more smoothly into their role.
- Assess and strengthen existing onboarding practices for continuous improvement.
When: Thursday, May 28, 2026 (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM)
—————————————————————
Performance Feedback Essentials for Newcomer Employees
In this workshop, participants will learn strategies for providing feedback to build trust and improve career management and newcomer employees’ integration into the workplace. We’ll explore cultural nuances in feedback styles and equip participants with tools and skills to provide more effective, culturally sensitive, and constructive feedback.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Use feedback strategies to foster trust and support newcomer integration.
- Navigate cultural differences for improved communication.
- Deliver culturally sensitive and constructive feedback with enhanced skills.
When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 (10:00 am – 12:00 pm)
—————————————————————
Culturally Competent Interviewing Skills
In this interactive learning session, we will explore how the sending and receiving of messages during an interview can lead to misinterpretations and misconceptions. We will use a paradigm to build skills that are interpreted congruently by both interviewer and the newcomer job seeker who is interviewing. We will also address and respond to best practices in the Ontario Human Rights Code Removing the “Canadian Experience” Barrier Guide for Employers and Regulatory Bodies.
By the end of this workshop, participants will learn:
- How to apply cross-cultural communication tools in interviews.
- Practical tips and strategies to help you identify and address communication style and non-verbal issues in interview settings
- How to conduct inclusive, bias-aware interviews that assess candidates on relevant skills rather than “Canadian experience.”
When: Tuesday, June 23, 2026 (1:30 pm – 3:30 pm)
—————————————————————
Workshop: Inclusive Recruitment for Newcomer Talent
In this workshop, we’ll apply inclusive recruitment processes, especially tailored for attracting and assessing newcomer talent. We’ll focus on ways to uncover biases and create job descriptions, ad campaigns and interviews that are newcomer friendly. You’ll come away with practical tools, strategies and leads for inclusive recruitment processes.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Apply bias-free recruitment strategies and tools to effectively attract and assess newcomer talent.
- Craft inclusive job description and ad campaigns.
- Design and apply interview techniques that accommodate the unique experiences of newcomers.
When: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 (10:00 am –12:00 pm)
Register Here. (Not opened)
—————————————————————
Effective Cultural Adaptation Strategies
Through research, we can now describe the profile of the person who adapts inter-culturally (both to culture and to workplace) most effectively. In this session we will focus on: exploring the adaptation process and the strategies that make it successful; a self-assessment tool (used by both new Canadians and multicultural workplaces) that not only identifies one’s personal areas of strength and challenge in adaptation but also provides action plans for addressing areas of challenge; and identifying aspects of culture that may appear in the workplace.
By the end of this workshop, your will learn:
- Practical tips and strategies to help you adapt your workplace for a diverse employee base.
- How cultural adaptation can improve workplace effectiveness.
- How to assess and strengthen your own cultural adaptation skills using self-assessment tools and targeted action planning.
When: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 (1:30 pm – 3:30 pm)
Register Here. (Not opened)
—————————————————————
For more information, contact us at events@hireimmigrantsottawa.ca