According to Royal Bank of Canada president Gordon Nixon, newcomers are "one of Canada's great competitive advantages". Other speakers at the innovation conference held at the MaRS centre in Toronto last week agreed. And so do we.
Why is this? For one thing newcomers will have, wherever they have come from, a different point of view, ideas and opinions and this helps to break up the "group-think" that is so stifling to innovation. Even more as Mr Nixon went on to say "This is a country that to a large degree has been built by newcomers willing to take risks" and that's a very notable point to consider. Newcomers to Canada are people who were willing to bet on a better life in Canada. They are people used to examining pros and cons of large life decisions and willing to take risks for what they see as opportunities and that is simply a mindset that coalesces well with innovation.
It's just another example of how adding diversity to your workforce, including newcomers to Canada, isn't just about "doing the right thing". It's really about making your business stronger. Sourcing from the widest possible talent pool, adding diverse experiences and encouraging a culture of innovation are all items with real bottom line impact.
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