In conversation over coffee with Jen Stobart: A fresh start for refugees

For refugees rebuilding their lives in a new country work isn’t just employment, it’s an opportunity for stability, belonging, and a first step towards feeling at home again.

Through Starbucks partnership with the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a global network of businesses supporting refugees’ access to the labour market, we’re actively helping refugees to find a fresh start in our stores. Jen Stobart, Director of Tent UK, works with over 80 major companies – including Starbucks – to help refugees across the UK find connection and community through employment. For World Refugee Day, Jen reflects on how employers can support those who have been forced to start over.

What has personally drawn you to working with refugees – how did you end up leading Tent UK?

I began my career as a management consultant before moving into international development, advocating for child rights and access to healthcare. But it was during a career break, volunteering in refugee camps in Greece and Lebanon, that everything shifted for me. I met people who had been forced to flee their homes yet showed incredible resilience as they rebuilt their lives.

When I later came across Tent, it felt like the perfect way to bring together my corporate background and my experience on the ground. Ironically, I only heard about the role through someone in my network – which demonstrates a key challenge many refugees themselves face. They often arrive without those professional connections, so they miss out on job vacancies.

Can you tell us more about some of the challenges refugees face when trying to find employment in a new country?

Here in the UK, there are around half a million refugees with the right to work – many of them from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Eritrea or Iran. As with any group, they have diverse backgrounds – some have left school early or only worked in informal roles (such as for a family business), while others hold professional qualifications or advanced degrees. In fact, a recent report found 26% of refugees held a master’s or equivalent.

But whatever their background, most face the same challenges because they’re navigating an unfamiliar job market. They often don’t know where to search for roles, how to write their CV, or what’s expected in an interview. English can also be a barrier – particularly when the recruitment process often demands a higher level of proficiency than the job itself. On top of that, CVs with gaps – often a result of their forced displacement or waiting for an asylum claim – can automatically end up in the “no” pile, closing the door before they even have a chance to show their value.  

What about after they’re hired? Starting in a new workplace is challenging at the best of times, but it must be particularly hard for those in a new country?

The onboarding process is so important for those with a refugee background, so we encourage businesses to invest the time into helping them settle into their role. When starting a job in a new country there are so many unknowns: how do I approach my line manager? What’s in my contract? How and when do I take lunch breaks? Putting that support in place early on really pays off.

In our work with Starbucks partners, we’ve actually seen higher retention rates among those with refugee backgrounds than non-refugees – a powerful reflection of the commitment and enthusiasm they can bring to a role if they’re just equipped with the tools to succeed. Refugees bring with them an incredible range of skills, unique perspectives, and lived experience. But they’re often overlooked because of barriers that can – and should – be broken down with the right support.

Why is employment such a powerful step for someone who has been displaced?

A quote we often come back to at Tent is from our founder, Hamdi Ulukaya who said, “the minute a refugee gets a job, is the minute they stop being a refugee.” When someone has been forced to leave their home, a job becomes more than just a payslip, it’s a lifeline – a pathway to stability, rebuilding, and feeling connected to a new community. We know refugees want to contribute to their new country, they want to grow and to feel like they belong. That sense of commitment, routine and being part of a team is incredibly grounding. 

How does Tent partner with businesses, like Starbucks, to help break down some of the barriers holding refugees back?

We work with over 500 companies that are eager to expand their talent pipelines to include refugees, offering them everything from hands-on guidance to best practice resources. But it’s not just about what we share with the companies – it’s also the conversations we help spark between them. If you’re one of the few people in your organisation leading refugee hiring efforts, that can feel isolating. But when you realise there are more than 80 other companies in the UK alone doing the same work, it creates momentum and shared learning.

With Starbucks, it’s been a close and collaborative partnership. We’ve worked together to expand their refugee hiring efforts across EMEA and provide pre-employment training programmes that help refugees to access job opportunities in store.

You said Starbucks partners with refugee backgrounds often stay with the company for longer. What should businesses do to help their refugee employees to thrive in their role and stay for the long-term?

It’s about intentionality at every step – not just during recruitment but throughout their career journey. This might look like buddy systems, making sure someone else on shift can speak the same first language to help them to get up to speed faster, or creating a safe space for honest conversations and holding regular check-ins.  

Over time, it becomes about nurturing their talent and ambition. Many refugees arrive with professional experience that doesn’t necessarily correlate to the job they first apply for. Employers should be thinking about how they can help them to grow and unlock new opportunities. Refugee hiring is a starting point but it should also be a springboard.

About Starbucks Refugee Hiring Programme

First launched in 2017, our Refugee Hiring Programme is now active across 11 countries in EMEA, providing pre-employment training to support refugees in accessing job opportunities in our stores. Learn more here.

About Tent UK

Tent UK is the national coalition of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, which was founded in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO and founder of multibillion dollar food company Chobani. In addition to the UK, Tent operates in ten other countries across the Americas and Europe – including France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden. Find out more by reaching out to [email protected] or visiting www.tent.org/UK.