The benefits of opening up to marginalised talent
By Jo Faragher on 5 July 2023
People from marginalised groups often face multiple challenges when trying to break into – or re-enter – the labour market. Employers may have preconceptions about why the candidate has been out of the workforce for so long, individuals lack confidence because they’re not used to high-stakes interview situations, and it can become a vicious circle of rejection.
A number of organisations focus on breaking this cycle, including Catch22, a not-for-profit business helping often-overlooked candidates with employability skills and into sustainable employment. This includes helping young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) into work, apprenticeships or education; supporting people with the skills required in the growing market for ‘green’ jobs; and partnerships with employers including National Grid – with which it supports people between 16 and 30 to break into the energy industry. “We specialise in the hardest to reach groups, often in areas of deprivation and alongside other charities,” explains Victoria Head, Strategic Director of Skills & Employability. “They need support not just with the basics of employability, but also their mental health – many have lost confidence and feel left behind because of the pandemic.”
One of Catch22’s key roles is to manage expectations on both sides. “Recruiting organisations can think a certain way about how they feel things ‘should be done’ – our role is to show them how onboarding candidates can be different now than it used to be,” she adds. Candidates coming into jobs now face even more hurdles than previous generations, often having to work multiple low-paid roles to keep up with the cost of living, not to mention the threat of automation from artificial intelligence. “Individuals who have experienced barriers to work may need more support than others, so we provide them with action plans to build their soft skills, and the support is ongoing after they start,” Head explains. The first day is just that – there will be bumps in the road for everyone, but even more so if someone is, for example, a refugee triggered by a certain situation or someone escaping domestic violence who is nervous about a public facing role.
Building networks
Nitzan Pelman, CEO and Founder of Climb Hire, says that one of the challenges marginalised candidates face is they lack the networks and connections that people who are already established in the workforce have. “Most people find jobs through connections and referrals, so we teach the art of relationship building and then broker professional connections, which are ultimately the foundational building blocks of a successful career,” she says. Graduates of Climb Hire’s programme, known as ‘Climbers’, are invited back to teach future cohorts, “effectively expanding job opportunities for those who come after them and helping to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem intent on uplifting everyone”, she adds. Those on low incomes often have vast networks of friends and neighbours, but lack access to the people with capital and power that could boost their careers. “This is the key differentiator between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged communities,” Pelman explains.
By opening up their organisations to talent pools they might not have considered (or even avoided) before, businesses benefit from greater diversity of thought and increased innovation, she adds: “When hiring managers close themselves off to a number of qualified candidates who possess desirable attributes, they miss out on hearing from perspectives that will ultimately add value and provide different ways of approaching a problem. Many of [those who have been through the Climb Hire programme] have worked in retail, customer service, and other blue-collar positions that develop grittiness, problem solving abilities, resiliency, and work ethic. They possess qualities that any hiring manager would love to have in an employee, but have long been overlooked due factors that don’t actually determine their ability to make an impact at a company.”
Another way to open up organisations to marginalised talent is to minimise specific job requirements unless they are absolutely necessary, says Nicola Inge, Social Impact Director at Business in the Community. “Marginalised groups such as ex-offenders and people who have been out of work for some time can often face barriers when applying for a job, with some job descriptions including very specific and sometimes unnecessary requirements,” she explains. BITC’s Opening Doors campaign calls for employers to be more inclusive in their recruitment processes, particularly in a climate where many employers are struggling to recruit. “Removing the criminal convictions tick box from job applications, for example, focusing on the essential skills needed for a role, and offering training opportunities to new employees will help employers access a wider and more diverse talent pool,” she adds. ”Research shows that organisations which have a diverse workforce are more likely to have increased productivity than those which don’t, so building a workforce with people from diverse backgrounds is not only the right thing to do, it also makes business sense.”
Levelling the playing field
Once inside a company, fostering a sense of inclusion will ensure that candidates who have been disadvantaged before continue to feel welcome and supported – that those hurdles in the road don’t end with them leaving the workforce. “To attract and retain talent, it’s important to continually demonstrate your commitment to them as individuals, meeting them where they are on their life and career journey,” says Ashleigh Tennent, founder and CEO of More Happi, a digital platform that helps businesses to offer coaching to everyone. “Blanket learning and development or training no longer works, to truly flourish, organisations need to offer personalised solutions.” By ‘democratising’ access to coaching and mentoring – programmes that historically have only been offered to senior or C-suite executives, or in large businesses with big budgets – companies can level the playing field for marginalised talent. Tennent adds: “No matter what the employee’s previous experience or background may be, everyone can get an equal opportunity to grow and be more.”
This culture needs to begin at the top, but everyone has the ability to drive change within an organisation if they are given mentoring or coaching support to do so, she argues. Tennent adds: “Thankfully, the next generations joining businesses are more vocal about principles of fairness and if organisations don’t act, they simply won’t retain the talent. The winners will be the ones that demonstrate their commitment to fairness on an ongoing basis. With everyone responsible for noticing fairness or unfairness and then making positive steps to change.”
View more d&i Leaders articles
d&i Leaders is a global community of senior diversity, inclusion and HR focused professionals, looking to collaborate, network and accelerate their workplace inclusion strategy.