How Elsevier supports refugees through mentoring

Majd Mshaty(opens in new tab/window) was 19 when he left his hometown of Aleppo, in Syria, to come to the Netherlands. He’d dreamed of studying in Europe — as a teenager his plan had been to study dentistry there and then return to Syria. As it was, he swapped dentistry for studying cultural anthropology and business administration in Amsterdam, and his plan to return to Syria was thwarted by the country’s war.

Majd doesn’t embrace the term refugee, saying in a previous interview in Medium(opens in new tab/window) that “I don’t want that anymore. I don’t want someone to pay for me or to help me because I am a refugee.” Keen to establish himself in the Netherlands on his own terms, he began a manager trainee course, which put him into contact with Elsevier’s own program for helping refugees establish themselves in a new country.

Around the world, people are displaced daily through no fault of their own. Many are displaced inside their countries; others have to cross turbulent seas and terrifying borders to find safety and resettle in a new country. Often, it takes years for these refugees to find work or complete their studies, even if they were highly educated professionals in their home countries.

“My parents always instilled in me to help less fortunate people if I am in a position to do so,” said Sjoerd, HR Director for Continental Europe & Research Markets at Elsevier. “Both my parents have always done volunteer work in some shape or form. Recently my mother has been teaching the Dutch language to refugees from Syria as a volunteer, which for me triggered the discussion on what we can do as at Elsevier to help.”

Coincidentally, Charon and Sjoerd connected while both were working on the idea to start a collaboration between UAF and Elsevier separately. UAF has been providing support to refugee students and professionals in their studies and in finding suitable employment in the Dutch labor market since 1948. Therefore, Charon and Sjoerd knew that collaborating with UAF would be the most effective way to start the program.

So in December 2020, Elsevier started its collaboration with UAF. Sjoerd and Charon co-organized the program with HR Business Partner Helga Bergfeld(opens in new tab/window) and Global Inclusion & Diversity Analyst Julia Cselotei(opens in new tab/window) of Elsevier, working closely with Teuta Curri(opens in new tab/window) of UAF. A total of 16 Elsevier colleagues signed up as volunteers.

During the 6-month program, Elsevier employees mentored refugee professionals, advising on various aspects of professional life in the Netherlands, such as applying for a job and building a professional network. They also answered practical questions and helping the refugees become more comfortable with Dutch culture and society.

In the kick-off session, mentors and mentees had a chance to speak one-to-one for the first time. Feedback was positive, with one mentor commenting:

It’s exciting to see what we have in common and how we can learn from each other. Thank you for bringing us together.

The aim was to help these young professionals with a renewed start in finding an appropriate position in the Netherlands — maybe even within Elsevier — ultimately helping them support their families so they can start their lives comfortably in their new home country.

Continuing the mentoring partnership

The inaugural program concluded June 24 with an online celebration, evaluation and heart-warming stories from some mentors and mentees.

“It was a successful and inspiring collaboration,” Sjoerd said, “and feedback from both the mentors and the mentees confirmed they were pleased with the program and the value they got from interacting with each other and broadening horizons from both sides.

“The closing session also provided great feedback that we can use to improve successive programs,” he added. “We will certainly maintain our partnership with the UAF and will start another program with a new cohort later in the year.”

Meanwhile, Elsevier’s Talent Acquisition team has been working to provide internship placements for interested UAF candidates, with most of them starting this September.

If you have job opportunities for Majd and his fellow mentees, please email us at [email protected](opens in new tab/window).

What did you learn from the experience as a mentee?

I learnt about myself. I learned what the color of my parachute is. My meetings with Anouck helped me to look at myself from a different perspective and use this perspective to apply for jobs. In addition, I learned a lot about what to expect in the Dutch job market and how to deal with the cultural differences inside the business field.

What part of the program was most useful, and did it help you to find a role?

My mentor’s advice regarding my CV was the most valuable. I used her advice by developing an effective CV that made an impression on many recruiters, and I was actively approached.

What did you learn from the experience as a mentor?

What I learned most is that by focusing on the development of the mentee, you learn a lot about yourself, which helps you in your own development journey as well — and that is energizing and fulfilling at the same time!

How did you try to help your mentee?

We met every two weeks, and in the beginning, we focused on Majd’s position in the labor market. I recommended the book What color is your parachute?(opens in new tab/window) to help him with learning more about himself, his interests and his assets and also how to best present himself on his CV. Later, we also talked about many other things, like how it is to live abroad, cultural differences regarding work, travelling and so much more.