by Ethan Paquet
Tareq Hadhad is an award-winning Syrian Canadian entrepreneur and Founder/CEO of Peace by Chocolate, which produces artisanal chocolates in Nova Scotia and sells them worldwide.
He recently spoke about the importance of belonging and used his story of resilience and overcoming adversity to provide insight and encouragement during Workforce Day 2023, held by the department of Workforce, Advanced Learning, and Population. This day brought together industry and government representatives to discuss strategies to attract and retain employees during the labour shortage.
Tareq’s family’s story of fleeing Syria in 2012 and finding a new home in Antigonish has been adapted into the 2020 biography Peace by Chocolate: The Hadhad Family’s Remarkable Journey from Syria to Canada and the 2021 film Peace by Chocolate.
“When we talk about the future of the workforce, we must talk about belonging,” says Tareq. “You cannot talk about immigration and bringing in foreign workers without making sure they feel safe and have a place to call home.”
The power of storytelling
Tareq’s journey since arriving in Canada in 2015 has been an overall positive experience, but there are still times he faces discrimination. “I’m an optimistic person, but I also respect that every person I encounter may have opposing views about where I come from and my culture.”
One recent encounter happened on a flight to Toronto. After speaking to his father in Arabic, Tareq returned to his seat where he greeted the man sitting beside him. He was surprised when the man asked him to change seats, telling him that he was not welcome in Canada.
“I had two options,” he says. “I could change my seat and accept what he wanted me to do, or I could try to change his mind.”
A heated debate about the value of immigrants in Canada’s workforce ended in silent disagreement. Later, as the man began looking for a movie to watch during the flight, he asked Tareq if he had any recommendations.
“I told him I know a good movie called Peace by Chocolate. I wanted to see his reaction to my story, without stereotypes and assumptions.
“Watching the movie, he was having the time of his life. He was clapping, crying, and laughing. It was amazing to be a fly on the wall and see him transforming.”
When the movie finished, the man realized the subject of the movie was sitting beside him. As the pair left the plane, the man shook Tareq’s hand and thanked him for letting him see things from another perspective. When Tareq shared this encounter on social media, the man reached out asking for his help to hire foreign workers at his own company.
“There is power in telling our stories and our values and wearing where we come from on our sleeves every day.”
He says this story can help employers understand the importance of connecting with their employees, especially refugees or foreign workers. “Being a refugee is not a life goal. They were born in the right place at the wrong time. Ask them their stories, because they will tell you fascinating things about their lives before coming to Canada. Explain your own values to them so you can connect with each other, and they will feel like they belong.”
Connecting, belonging, and retention
Tareq says the issue of people leaving jobs and demanding a better work culture is not a new problem. “A job is like a marriage. You are not only asking candidates to join you for a day or a year. You’re asking them to build a sustainable relationship with your organization.”
With this in mind, employers struggling to retain staff must look at the foundation on which they have built their company. “Staff want stability and safety. The main reason they leave organizations is that they can’t find those two things.”
He encourages employers to be strategic in their job interview questions. “My father’s chocolate shop in Syria had a high retention rate. He always asked, ‘what is your dream job?’ With a question like that, you hear what they want to accomplish in life, their goals, and their values.
“This is important because the job doesn’t end when the workday is over. Many people take the culture of their workplace home with them, and if it’s toxic, it will affect their lives and well-being. Your staff need to know they are part of a greater good.”
He says the answer to building a strong foundation is to turn each job into a dream job where employees can find peace. “Peace empowers us to do anything. Use it as an acronym, standing for passion, enthusiasm, advocacy, contribution, and excellence. When your workplace is built on these pillars, you will find your team is more prepared to deliver excellence.”
Turning failure around
Tareq says there are four main reasons companies fail:
- Assuming their problems are unique
- Resistance to change
- Fear of the future
- Dwelling on mistakes
“To turn failure around, companies must aim for renewal, reinvention, and resilience.”
After Peace by Chocolate opened, they had a problem. The company did well each year from early September through the end of December, but the long slow season made it hard to attract long-term staff.
He called other businesses in the area and found he was not alone. “I spoke with three other employers in Antigonish needing staff during their own peak times throughout the year. We collaborated to offer our staff a full-time job working between the three of us.”
This act of kindness paid off when the company reopened after closing down during the pandemic. “All our staff that we had laid off came back and told us there was nowhere else they would rather be. That showed us we were doing the right thing and had a strong workplace culture.”
Return on kindness
Tareq says employers looking to survive the labour shortage need to be considerate of people, the planet, and their purpose. “In business, we talk a lot about the return on investment. What we don’t focus on is the return on kindness, and that is much more important. Think about how you can provide kindness to your staff.
“All your employees are people, all your clients are people, and people don’t want to join an organization that only takes care of the financial statements. If you do not treat people kindly, you are doing things wrong.”
He says a simple conversation can go a long way. “Talk to the people you are interviewing for a job and those who are already in your organization. Ask them why they want to be a part of your organization and why they feel it is a home for them.”
While challenges such as labour shortages and retention affect companies, he says these are symptoms of a bigger problem that the company needs to address. “We tend to be reactive, but we need to learn to become strategic so we can solve our problems.”
“As an employer, you are the person behind the steering wheel. You have the ability to find solutions.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
about Tareq Hadhad, visit www.tareqhadhad.com
