An Alberta landscaping company, based in Stony Plain, is hoping to encourage other businesses to hire Ukrainian refugees and people who are living with disabilities.
The Jansen Group hired five Ukrainian refugees, four of whom are deaf. Volodymyr Tymchuk applied in June.
Through Google Translate, he told Global News he came to the job interview with a friend who knows English, and the company hired him.
“I do not regret that I applied for this particular job,” Tymchuk said.
The Jansen Group president Adam Jansen said he wasn’t sure what it would be like to communicate. He first thought he should learn some American Sign Language, but realized because Tymchuk speaks Ukrainian — it wouldn’t all translate.
“Some things can be communicated with gesturing or hand movements, things like that, for more complicated things that require a little more detail, we just use our phones and Google Translate,” Jansen said.
“It was a lot easier than I expected.”
That said, there have been some challenges to having hearing-impaired workers on staff.
“Getting their attention on site is not as simple as just yelling, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ You have to make physical eye contact.”
Jansen said it was easy to make these adjustments, and soon asked Tymchuk if he knew of anyone else who needed work. Soon, four more people were hired.
“I can’t say enough good things about them — they are some of the most hard-working people. It doesn’t matter what the task is for the day, they always show up with a smile on the face and they are just such great people and they work super hard,” Jansen said.
“I think all business owners should consider hiring people with disabilities… and I think any way we can help out the Ukrainians coming to Canada is important.
“I think we should do whatever we can as Canadians to help them out.”
Tymchuk said in the short months he has been working there, he feels a sense of family.
“We like Canada, and working at Jansen Group.”
Comments