Inclusive Hiring How to: Hiring from Underutilized Labour Pools, including Disabled Persons
25 July 2024
This guide aims to assist employers in tapping into underutilized labor pools such as veterans, disabled persons, and underrepresented groups facing barriers to entering the labor force. It provides strategies to make the hiring process more inclusive and effective.
Strategies for Inclusive Hiring
- Broaden Skill Set Considerations: Look beyond traditional skill sets and recognize the unique abilities and experiences that diverse candidates bring.
- Revise Job Requirements: Relax or remove non-essential skills from job descriptions to make them more inclusive.
- Flexible Work Arrangements: Target job sharers, part-timers, and candidates who prefer remote work. This flexibility can attract a wider range of applicants, including those with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or caregiving responsibilities.
- Innovative Advertising: Utilize social media and other non-traditional advertising methods to reach a broader audience.
- Participate in Job Fairs: Engage with potential candidates in settings focused on diverse hiring.
- Leverage Networks: Reach out to partners and professional networks that work with untapped labor pools.
- Engage Passive Candidates: Approximately 80% of professionals today are not actively seeking new employment but are open to opportunities. These include ‘explorers’ (44%) who are open to discussing new roles and ‘tiptoers’ (15%) who are more discreet in their job search.
- Accessible Selection Process: Ensure that your recruitment process is accessible and inclusive to all candidates.
- Promote a Flexible Work Environment: Highlighting flexibility can increase participation from individuals with disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and women.
- Utilize Government Incentives: For hiring underrepresented groups, explore government subsidies, grants, or incentives that can offset training costs.
- Collaborate with Local Agencies: Work with organizations like WorkBC to access targeted workforces and training subsidies.
- Network Broadly: Expand your networking efforts both within and outside your industry to build a diverse employee pipeline.
- Consider Non-Traditional Applicants: Be open to candidates who may lack experience but show enthusiasm and strong soft skills. This includes accommodating disabled employees, considering those with criminal histories, and looking at candidates from other industries.
Understanding Passive Candidates
Definition: Passive candidates are not actively seeking new employment but are open to discussing new opportunities.
Categories: They can be categorized as ‘explorers’ who are open to being approached about new jobs, and ‘tiptoers’ who are more discreet but equally approachable by recruiters.
By adopting these strategies, employers can effectively tap into a rich and diverse talent pool, bringing valuable new perspectives and skills to their organizations. This approach not only enhances workforce diversity but also contributes to a more inclusive and dynamic work environment.
