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As Quebec faces a labor crisis, more and more employers are turning to temporary foreign workers, particularly those from Latin America. They have come to help out in the midst of a pandemic and must also overcome the language barrier. However, it would be beneficial for employers to learn a few words of Spanish!

While Quebec has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, the province has always been able to count on the arrival of foreign workers, especially to fill seasonal agricultural jobs. But the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the labor crisis, and many businesses are forced to limit their hours or even close their doors due to lack of employees. The need to hire foreign workers has even prompted the Quebec government to change certain rules. Thus, in early November 2021, the Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, unveiled the professions that should be able to benefit from relaxations in the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.

Hiring foreigners: the advantage of Latin American workers

Employers who decide to hire temporary foreign workers are looking for qualified individuals who are geographically close. So it’s logical that the labor market, including the industrial sectors, is concentrated in South America. For example, Granby was able to communicate with potential candidates during a virtual recruitment mission organized at the end of October 2021 with the help of the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI), as part of the Journées Québec.

According to them, hiring workers from Latin America is a way to ensure that you have competent workers (for example in the manufacturing, information and communications, food processing sectors, etc.) who share similar cultural values and who will even be able to learn French easily thanks to the similarities between Spanish and French, two Latin languages. But as employers, why not double your chances and learn Spanish too?

Learning Spanish is a great asset for employers

When workers from South America arrive in Quebec, they are expected to speak (or learn) French, or at least to be able to communicate in English. However, it would be more beneficial for employers to learn a few words in Spanish! First of all, it will allow them to have a privileged communication with their employees and thus, to ensure that they understand and trust them. It also allows them to be more precise in their requests or advice.

Learning Spanish is also the assurance of having access to a large pool of candidates from Spanish-speaking countries. After all, Spanish is the official language of 21 countries and is spoken by over 585 million people worldwide. It may be worthwhile to connect with technical and technological schools, as well as training centers related to your areas of expertise, to recruit the best possible recruits.

To learn Spanish effectively, why not take online language courses? Global Lingua offers quality language training for employers who want to see (and speak) far and wide, and for their employees. Take advantage of virtual classes to progress at the office or from the comfort of your home!