CIPD

Podcast 234: Recruiting and supporting refugee talent in the workplace

September 16, 2026·33 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

According to UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are approximately 548,400 refugees in the UK – yet many highly qualified, experienced people remain locked out of meaningful work. Not by ability, but by structural barriers: recruitment processes that filter out valuable candidates, unrecognised or unfamiliar qualifications, and in many cases, a basic misconception among employers about whether refugees can legally be employed at all.Join Nigel Cassidy and this month's guests – Jenny Walton, CEO at Refugee Employment Network; Nikki von Bulow, Director of HR Consultancy Services and CIPD Trust Rebuilding Futures Mentor; and Oksana Hulyk, Legal Adviser and HR Professional – as they draw on lived and professional experience to explore how people professionals can remove these barriers and open up meaningful employment for refugee talent.In this episode, our panel explores:What role people professionals can play in removing barriers to refugee employment, from right-to-work misconceptions to recruitment processes that filter out valuable candidatesWhy supporting refugee employment is a workforce strategy, not a philanthropic gestureHow to equip line managers with the skills and confidence to support refugee talent once they’re in post---Your next listen:CIPD Podcast 226 – Closing skill gaps from within: the case for internal mobilityCIPD Podcast 217 – Willing and able: Unlocking opportunities for prison leavers More from this episode:Guide: Hiring refugees – Guide for people professionals (CIPD Trust)Case study: Rebuilding Futures and forming a friendship that goes beyond mentoring (CIPD Trust)Website: Refugee Employment NetworkRefugee Employment Network: Training for Employers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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