Improve your Business - Hire a Refugee!

This is the letter I send to people who might be interested in hiring someone from our pool of clients:

Hello Potential Employer,

My organization could be an awesome solution to your future employment needs.

I work for the Asian Association of Utah as an employment case manager for refugees. Basically our organization offers employers the advantages of a staffing agency, except we're a free, not-for-profit organization. So there is no need to deal with hassles of public listings. Instead by using us you can expect to get quality legal employees fast - usually within 48 hours. And as I mentioned, since we are a non-profit organization, there is no fee for any of our staffing services.

At this agency we assist refugees from all over the world who have fled their homes because their life was endangered by political turmoil. Due to the amazing circumstances of their life, refugees tend to be very willing, hard-working, dependable employees. We screen nearly one hundred potential employees each month. We ensure all their paperwork is in order and any other employment related needs are met. We want to ensure that you have a good experience when you hire a refugee. As such, the services we provide include, but are not limited to, the following:
Language-specific job orientations
On the job training in the refugee's native language
Translation of rules/policies/procedures in the appropriate language
Language specific interpreters
Assistance with transportation needs
Assistance with social service issues that might otherwise interfere with work
Many innovative companies have discovered the huge benefits associated with hiring refugees. For example, the Summit Watch Marriot Hotel in Park City decided to give refugees a chance and bought a van to transport 15 people from Salt Lake to their Hotel in Park City. Summit Watch Park City went from having a 100% yearly turnover rate with a traditional workforce, to a 4% turnover rate once they started hiring Burmese refugees. Now 90% of their housekeeping team is composed of refugees. With job retention also came increased job performance as evidenced by improvement on customer satisfaction surveys at Summit Watch Marriot. If you are interested I can put in you contact with Summit Watch's Suzanne Wild who will tell you more about her experience hiring refugees.

Finally, right now is a uniquely good time to hire a refugee in Utah. Currently there are two Federal programs which make helping a refugee very cost-effective. First, if you're willing to train someone in a valuable skill while they work, our refugees qualify for the On the Job Training Program which reimburses employers 50% of the cost of employee(s) wages during a predetermined training period. Many employers are granted over 100 hours of reimbursed time when they hire and train a refugee. Also, all our refugees qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit which can be worth as much as $9,000!

Give me a call or send me an e-mail so we can schedule a time to talk about your employment needs.

Thanks,
Zach Myers
Asian Association
Utah Refugee Employment Center
http://www.aau-slc.org/
801-808-0653
zcmyers@gmail.com

Links to Refugee Resources/Information:

FAQ about Refugees:
http://www.jobs.utah.gov/refugee/who.asp

Department of Workforce Services, Refugee Services:
http://www.jobs.utah.gov/refugee/

U.S. Refugee Statistics:
http://www.cal.org/co/refugee/statistics/index.html