Last year’s Newcomer hiring effort offered proof that strategic partnership, clear objectives, and a focus on hiring diverse talent can enhance the experience for both the organization and its employees.
A year ago, the Talent Acquisitions team at Scotiabank saw the need to deliver a Newcomer-specific hiring initiative. To do so, they joined efforts with ACCESS Employment Services, a long-standing community partner, to host a one-day virtual hiring event. ACCESS employment shared 119 potential candidates from their talent community of Newcomers to Canada from India, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Nigeria among others; 92 candidates were interviewed by over 25 Scotiabankers in one day, and 35 newcomers were hired.
We reached out to two of the candidates who were hired at this event, and are now proud Scotiabankers. Here are their experiences as Newcomers joining our Global Operations team:
This was Feyi’s first winter in Canada. Having lived in Nigeria her whole life, the weather alone was an adjustment. She then went on to discuss the difficulties some people experience as Newcomers to Canada without any Canadian work experience:
“I’m grateful that Scotiabank gave me this opportunity to get the Canadian work experience, I needed to start my life here.”
Once she started her training in the Global Operations Call Centre, she had the opportunity to learn about many facets of the Canadian customer experience. She shared an interesting anecdote:
“During our onboarding training, one of the exercises was to write a fear you had regarding starting this job on a post-it note. I wrote: ‘not finding resources on time’. I was afraid to be on the phone with a client and not be able to solve their problem on time. I now read that post-it and it is no longer a fear. We have an entire community of Scotiabankers that helps, so I look at that fear and just know it’s OK, I’m OK.”
With a background in Marketing and Public Relations in Nigeria, Feyi is focused on learning and growing within the Scotiabank organization:
“I am extremely impressed with the consciousness there is at Scotiabank for employee development. Because, I mean, I've worked in other places, and I'm using that knowledge to gauge this. It is an intentional act from the Bank to know what you want, and how to help you grow. The Bank is asking you: what else do you want to do? Where do you want to go? They really want you to succeed. And it’s not just focused on filling the Bank’s need; if you want to move to another aspect of the business and you leave your role, it’s seen as a benefit to the Bank.”
Feyi shares her proudest moment and her excitement for all the development possibilities that have emerged for her:
“My proudest moment was during one of my meetings with my manager. We have scores based on our performance. I had not focused on that score but rather on showing up and doing a good job. When my manager told me I had maxed out my score for that month, I was pleasantly surprised, and proud of achieving that result so quickly in the role.”
Another area of pride for Feyi? Helping others, which sparks a sense of purpose. For Feyi, that’s the most rewarding aspect of being a Customer Care Advisor – showing up and helping customers every day.
Meet Eugene, a Scotiabanker who joined the Global Operations team as a result of the Newcomer hiring efforts. Eugene, who is originally from Ukraine, explains his career journey, which is thread together by resilience and the perseverance to move forward.
“This was my first interview outside Ukraine, and I quickly realized a big difference. Here in Canada, there are a lot of questions about soft skills; back in Ukraine it is much more focused on technical skills. This soft-skill approach was new, yet interesting, to me.”
He hit the ground running after his two-month training, which he says flew by. He also notes the support available to all Customer Care Advisors:
“My manager is great, there are so many resources for us to find quick answers to questions. I learned a lot from other peers. Everyone is busy, but they are all willing to help.”
On adapting to Canada and working at Scotiabank:
“Everything was new, new country, new experience, new job. I know everything about the banking system in Ukraine, but not in Canada, and they are very different. In Ukraine, we don't have credit cards and we don't need to build our credit history. Right now, I'm working in the credit department, and I have learned so much, and am happy to be helping customers understand how credit cards work.”
Eugene’s sense of purpose at work is rooted in making an impact on each customer he speaks to.
“There are so many reasons to smile on this job, but I would say the satisfaction of helping people is the main one. I sometimes help older people and they put a smile on my face, and I hope to put a smile on theirs. It is rewarding to feel you help people every day.”
At Scotiabank, a culture of belonging is at the heart of our Global Community of Scotiabankers. We value the diversity of thought and perspective employees like Feyi and Eugene offer our team. This diversity is critical to the way we work and collaborate at Scotiabank. If you are interested in growing your career in an organization committed to your development, we invite you to join our team!
