Connecting through language

Ziba fled from Afghanistan to Pakistan in 2017 with her parents and siblings, before arriving in Australia in 2019. After doing volunteer work in a bakery, she joined IKEA through the Refugee Workforce Inclusion program in 2021 and then secured a permanent role as a Sales Co-worker in the Home Organisation and Lighting department. Ziba’s natural people skills and passion for customer service enables her to build strong connections with diverse customers and co-workers, often drawing on her fluency in many languages including Dari, Hindi, Urdu, and English. In Afghanistan, she worked in a secondary school teaching English and Dari literature.

'There are many customers from my background for whom English is not their first language. They are so happy when they realise I can understand and help them in the store.'

'Co-workers are also interested to hear and learn my language. My team is very diverse; we come from many different backgrounds including China, Canada, Australia, India, Indonesia, and Afghanistan. We talk about our cultures and our food; we socialise and go out for meals together. I feel like I really belong at IKEA.'

'More companies should be welcoming of refugees, because if you open your doors to different people from different backgrounds, you will have a more supportive and knowledgeable work community.'  Ziba’s manager Hari, believes Ziba goes above and beyond in her daily tasks. 

 'Ziba’s commitment to delivering high-quality results is truly inspiring! She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure our customers feel valued and supported. Ziba’s genuine empathy and patience truly make a positive impact on our customers’ experiences.'

Head back to the campaign page to find out how IKEA is partnering with refugees across the world.