The European continent has always attracted many people who seek better living conditions and, therefore, the migration issue is a much discussed topic on the continent. Most of these immigrants come from regions such as the Middle East, Africa and Asia. However, in Portugal, there is a small difference compared to countries such as Germany, France and Italy.
Foreigners have increasingly chosen Portugal as a country to live in
Data released by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) reveal that more than 714,000 foreigners resided in Portugal at the end of 2021, thus presenting, for the sixth consecutive year, an increase in the number of foreign residents on Portuguese soil. As you can imagine, Brazilians remain the largest foreign community residing in the country. However, the growth of foreign citizens from European Union countries confirms the impact of Portugal's attractiveness factors, for example, as a safe country. After Brazil, the most representative nationalities are natives of the United Kingdom, Cape Verde, India and Italy. Sometimes, many of these choose Portugal as a country to live in without even speaking Portuguese. Have you ever seen this happen up close? Can you think of cases like these in your company?
Indeed, an immigrant who does not speak the language of the destination country may not be an obstacle in certain environments, but can you imagine this employee having the opportunity to learn Portuguese as a benefit of the organizational institution? In addition to demonstrating that the company cares, providing training nurtures a sense of belonging and builds employee loyalty. We have an article here on the blog that presents 5 advantages of investing in employee training, if you are interested in knowing more.
More than 18,000 Ukrainians have immigrated to Portugal since the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia on February 24. Portugal receives more and more immigrants and the country's social policies make this very clear.
What does this imply in organizational structure?
Everything! Multiculturalism is the key to innovation within companies. People carry different stories, cultures, languages, thoughts and perspectives. When a group is made up of people with cultural differences, the brainstorming they do, for example, is much more enriching. Each person will bring points of view and ideas based on their experiences. A workplace where there is openness to cultural inclusion is undoubtedly an asset and generates enrichment to the corporate culture. Is your company multicultural?
Are your company's internal policies prepared to deal with the internal cultural difference? Does your company know how to value foreign employees? Is not speaking Portuguese a factor that still makes your company miss the opportunity to work with qualified people?
If the answer was no to any of these questions, we suggest that you review internally the policies for valuing internal labor in your company. Be the change in your organization and promote the implementation of employee appreciation plans.
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