Should companies focus on hiring those who lost their jobs (through no fault of their own) due to COVID-19? Three concepts come to mind: economics, corporate social responsibility, and employer branding.
Economics -
We have learned from historical economic downturns that the loss of income from unemployment creates physical and mental health challenges for individuals, results in higher crime rates, and reduces a country's GDP. Excessive unemployment rates also tend to encourage protectionist measures, leading to international tensions.
Okay, so how bad is it this time? The US unemployment rate resulting from COVID-19 is positioned roughly where it was during recovery from The Great Depression, heading into World War II, nearly a century ago. It’s bad. We need to hire people who are not working and want to.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
COVID-19 has created a serious, global problem and there are few other issues of higher priority at the moment than the resolution of this widespread “economic pause”. Finding a vaccine and/or other health solutions is an imperative, yes. But there is an opportunity for the talent acquisition function of organizations to engage in the ethically-oriented practice of sourcing, interviewing and hiring people who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, during this pandemic (while continuing to emphasize diversity and inclusion hiring). Hiring should be part of the COVID-19 solution. We have made a case for fighting bias in recruitment on the basis of gender or ethnicity and employment status should be no different. Consider that those who have lost their job recently are hungry to perform, have had time to reflect on what motivates them and where they want to be, and will be grateful for being seen for their past achievements and potential, rather than labeled by their current jobless status. Companies have a social responsibility to hire the unemployed.
Employer Branding
The role and importance of CSR in employer branding has been explained in various academic studies. The increase in our collective social consciousness extends to how we think about employers. We remember who steps up in times of crisis and companies that take a stand for the greater good. Talent Acquisition professionals should recognize this opportunity to differentiate their organizations during this time of crisis and build their talent pipelines with motivated workers who have the potential to show loyalty for many years to come.
Takeaway for Recruiters and Hiring Managers:
Hire people who lost their jobs during the pandemic. Ask yourself: “Why do I continue to choose candidates who are already employed?”
There is strong talent out there just waiting to get back to work. Hiring the unemployed will help your employer branding through a commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and you can rest assured that you are helping the economy during an uncertain and challenging time.
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