By and large, most employers interviewed expressed the opinion that there were no specific reasons for recruiting/employing migrant care workers over domestic care workers. When queried about particular items, some key issues came to the fore in the employer survey (see figure IV.13). In terms of work ethic, some employers felt that domestic and immigrant care workers were similar, while others expressed the opinion that immigrant workers tended to value their jobs more, therefore, work harder. As one employer states

Put it this way: ‘cause it’s hard for them to get a job so I think they work really hard. That’s one thing I noticed from them is that. And I think with the work ethics too. ... we all work very hard so I think they work harder than that (BC Employer 10).

Some employers distinguished between the work ethic of different immigrant care worker groups. For example, a few employers found that the cultural values and upbringing in the Philippines usually meant that Filipino workers had a great work ethic. On the other hand, a few employers perceived that Jamaican immigrant workers in their facilities were too laid back or “slow” for the pace of their workplace (Ontario Employer 2).

The next most cited advantage to hiring immigrant care workers was that they are committed to caring for older people and are respectful towards older clients. Many of the employers interviewed stressed the opinion that commitment to caring cannot be defined by one’s culture or nationality, but felt that this was an individual trait. Other employers see the commitment to caring/respect for older clients by immigrant care workers as an advantage. For example, one employer states that greater commitment is shown “from the staff who come from the other countries than the Canadian workers” (BC Employer 10). A few employers believe that immigrant care workers respect the elderly more than domestic workers born in Canada. Some employers show a preference for hiring immigrant care workers from certain countries (i.e. Filipinos, Russians), for they feel that they are a better fit for the care industry.

The next two most important reasons for recruiting immigrant care workers is their willingness to learn new skills and an overall loyalty to their organization. Many employers expressed that immigrants are very loyal employees. Some employers argue that loyalty to the organization is particularly strong at the outset of the care worker’s employment. As one employer states,

I think the newer immigrants are. You know, like if you’re giving them their first job in Canada or say their first full-time job, you know, or something better than, you know, minimum wage I think then they are often, um, very loyal (Ontario Employer 3).

Other employers state that immigrant care workers are loyal if the hours are consistently available to them and if the organization meets their needs.

Many employers also note that immigrant care workers usually have strong skill sets and indeed many are overqualified for the positions they attain in Canada. This is particularly the case with immigrant care aides who, in many cases, are trained as nurses or physicians in their native countries:

-…we have some care aides who are working as a registered care aide who actually had a nursing diploma or a nursing education in India or in the Philippines but they didn’t want to write the exams here. So you get a better educated person (BC Employer 4).

There was less agreement on the issue of immigrant care workers’ willingness to work all shifts. One employer distinguished between different groups of immigrant care workers’ willingness to work all shifts. S/he states that there is “more willingness to work evenings and weekends from the, I would say, the Sri Lankan, Philippines and Russian staff” (BC Employer 12).

Although most employers used word of mouth to recruit, among the online survey respondents, there was no strong indication that immigrant care workers’ networks make hiring easy. Those interviewed did, however, note that:

-…it certainly makes it easier for us to attract people if our present employees are, you know, suggesting that there’s openings and why don’t they come and apply (Ontario Employer 5).

-Oh yeah. Oh yeah, ‘cause they’re always trying to... uh, it’s ambitious, you know, people are ambitious. They want to, they want... they came here. Like somebody who went across the ocean for god’s sake, you know, that shows that person has a lot of determination and that they’ll cope a little better with life changes, uh, that they’re actually going to take that adventurous leap. It’s quite amazing. So I think that’s common in their personalities (Ontario Employer 2).

Only one employer felt that some immigrant care workers may be willing to accept a lower wage than Canadian-born workers (BC Employer 1). This does not seem to be an influential advantage when employing immigrant care workers.

Although a few employers commented on the benefits of having employees from diverse backgrounds, some employers state that it is an advantage to speak a second language other than English, especially when residents of the facility speak this language. As one BC Employer states, “Italian is a big plus. If you come to us and you have Italian we will look at your resume very closely and certainly try to get you on board because you’re a major asset to us. I don’t have any Italian at all”. Explaining how the knowledge of another language can have a positive influence not only on communication between clients and immigrant workers, but also on clients’ perception of care and treatment received, one respondent to online survey noted:

“Having a nurse or an aid who is able to communicate in the native tongue of some of the residents is an additional benefits as it helps with not only the communication channels, but also fosters an environment whereby the resident feels cared for and where they feel that they are valued and respected."(Employer, online survey)