The labour shortage is a concerning matter and continues to impact several industries across the country, including the furniture business. Foliot Furniture is making a genuine effort to remediate this shortage and support immigration by working with Métier Plus International. The Montreal employment agency offers temporary, permanent, and international recruitment and headhunting services. Foliot decided to partner with Métier to recruit foreign workers using a diligent pre-selection process to find the ideal fit for their furniture brand.
Impressed by the courage and commitment of immigrants to this country, Foliot knew that collaborating with Métier was the ideal way to support and offer a new start to foreign workers. Since the furniture leader’s hire of new CEO Francis Arseneault in 2021, the company has placed even greater importance on its employees and the value they bring. “It is a pleasure and an honor to have been asked to join Foliot Furniture. This company is not only impressive because of the quality of its products and services, but also because of its unique culture where people are at the center of the organization’s success,” said Arseneault. ” At Foliot, we feel that safety, teamwork, passion and customer focus are embraced by everyone.”
The Method Behind Métier’s Recruiting Services
The new foreign hires to Foliot were predominantly from Central American countries, which Métier actively chooses to recruit from. The decision to do so is because Métier believes that Central American countries have a similar set of values and culture to Québec. By utilizing the recruitment agency’s International recruitment services, Foliot had access to hiring workers from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
Métier met with Foliot’s new employees right at the airport to an emotional and moving arrival. The company was inspired by these workers’ desire to adapt to a new culture, learn a different language, and work persistently for and with Foliot. Métier began their recruitment process by first meeting with Foliot to understand the needs and requirements of the company and furniture industry. This allowed Métier to gain insight into the furniture brand to ensure they select the most qualified and appropriate workers from their candidate pool.
“For example, if a company requires two welders, we will offer at least six candidatures. For five welders, we will present a minimum of 15 applications. At this point, it is true that companies from Quebec will want to learn more about potential candidates. We also offer two possibilities to the entrepreneur. They can either go meet the candidate in its country of origin or do a Skype interview,” states the Métier recruitment page.
After Foliot selected its candidates from Métier, the agency began implementing the process with provincial and federal governments to obtain work permits for immigrant workers. After the work permits were obtained, Métier met with Foliot’s new hires at the airport and helped them open a bank account, receive health insurance, and a social security number to allow them to start working as soon as possible. Foliot then became responsible for securing accommodation for their new foreign employee near the headquarters. The furniture company has been taking an active role in innovating its brand to forge a new path and progressive future for its employees and clients alike. This final step to support foreign workers is another example of that.
Ellie King is the Editor of Wood Industry / Le monde du bois magazine and weekly E-digest. She has years of experience in B2B writing and editing and is empowered by the opportunity to share the marvels, pitfalls and weekly news of Canada’s secondary wood industry with our readers.