RC Member Exclusive: AMK Global

EXCLUSIVE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR RECRUITMENT SOLUTION

More than ever, the Canadian foodservice sector is actively seeking to connect with and welcome new Canadians to help close the labour gap. While the process can be time consuming, complicated and expensive, it is no longer a last resort for many operators.

As found in Restaurants Canada’s latest Restaurants Outlook Survey: Q4 2022, tackling the labour shortage crisis will be among the top priorities for foodservice operators in 2023, with 53 per cent of respondents looking to attract or hire new staff, and operators sharing that they have been forced to reduce operating hours to account for the lack of staff.

Based in Canada and the UK, AMK Global is an immigration and recruitment company with proven hospitality and foodservice industry experience navigating the complexities of the Canadian immigration process to ensure fit-to-role and long-term retention. They are fully registered with the CAPIC and ICCRC, with deep experience in restaurant and hotel staff recruitment with boots on the ground in 12 cities around the world. AMK offers end-to-end service including managing Service Canada applications, candidate shortlisting and helping international talent obtain their LMIAs and Work Permits.

Peter Carruthers, Executive Director, International Talent Recruitment at AMK Global, says that since the announcement of their partnership with Restaurants Canada, they’ve fielded one or two new calls each day. “We have employers reaching out on a daily basis and they are experiencing a deep level of need. Labour is the number one issue an employer in hospitality is currently facing and locating talent is a huge challenge. We present employers with international talent sourced from Mumbai, Sri Lanka and Dubai as well as other locations around the world. Our candidates have five metrics in place: references, employment history, biometric approval, criminal record clearance and English level proficiency.

One of AMK Global’s key differentiators is that they are not just an experienced recruitment agency, but also an accredited immigration agency. From their head office in Mississauga, Ontario, they represent employers across Canada as well as in the U.S. Their streamlined services simplify the process for their restaurant, hotel and resort clients, connecting them with internationally sourced talent for full-time, back-of-house roles including cooks, bakers, butchers, pastry chefs, sushi makers, and dessert and pastry specialists as well as essential front-of-house and housekeeping roles. All at one of the most affordable rates in Canada.

We are experienced at helping our customers understand the processes of working with Service Canada,” Carruthers explains. That’s where we really step up to the plate. We are responsive and hold our customers’ and employers’ hands through the entire 24-month process. From the five or six months it takes for a person to land in Canada from Mumbai, going through the LMIA process, the work permit process and the employer onboarding to the full two-year term. We make sure things are going well, and at the 18-month point, we confirm whether our clients and employers would like to begin a second wave. About 8 out of 10 people choose to stay on with their employer when the mandatory work term ends.”

Carruthers notes that, while many employers are intimidated by the paperwork and the process before they begin, they soon realize the benefit of an experienced service partner. AMK manages every aspect of talent sourcing and administration on their behalf, down to candidate shortlisting and video interview scheduling. “Our employers get to meet their candidates online. One employer asked that candidates bring a boning knife and a whole chicken to the interview and had them demonstrate their butchery skills on screen. That was interesting, and very beneficial for the employer. We need to ensure the fit is there. It’s about culture and it’s about human lives, not just function.” Carruthers emphasizes that the “why” of AMK’s business is as important as the “what”. “We are introducing internationally sourced people to a life in Canada”, he says. “We’re not dealing with machines, but human beings. We refer several hundred people a year, and I sleep well knowing that we’re introducing people to Canadian values and a Canadian way of life.””

AMK GLOBAL BENEFITS FOR RESTAURANTS CANADA MEMBERS:

RESTAURANTS CANADA MEMBERS RECEIVE 25% OFF!

• Complete and tailored sourcing and shortlisting services to match open job descriptions
• Manage all administrative “red tape” for both recruitment and immigration
• Guarantee and provide 100% trained foreign workers with English language proficiency
• Workers are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs
• Canadian health standard protocols are strictly followed
• Schedule and manage live video inter- views with shortlisted candidates and hiring managers
• Foreign workers must be employed full-time, at median wage for 24 months, which provides stability and labour cost predictability for employers

Discover more Restaurants Canada Member Benefits at: www.restaurantscanada.org/ community/benefits/