Report: Recruiting ‘hidden workers’ can help public administrators fill vacancies, improve productivity

The coalescence of several factors synonymous with the ongoing pandemic—childcare challenges, economic stressors, the rise of remote work—is causing more people than ever before to reconsider their current job situation. There were 10.9 million job openings in December, according to latest unemployment report released Feb. 1 from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, nearly double the number of unemployed people. 

Faced with this challenge, new report, “Hidden workers: Uncovering untapped talent,” highlights ways government administrators can reach underemployed demographics—which the brief calls ‘hidden workers’—and fill open positions. 

“Hidden workers represent a diverse group spanning caregivers, veterans and military spouses, immigrants and refugees. Also included are people with physical disabilities, mental health or developmental/neurodiversity challenges, those from less-advantaged populations, people with a criminal record and those without traditional education qualifications,” reads the report, which was compiled by Accenture, an Ireland-based information technology company in collaboration with Harvard Business School’s project, “Managing The Future of Work.”  

To that end, researchers surveyed more than 8,000 of these overlooked ‘hidden workers’ and more than 2,250 executives across the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.  

They found that public employers can improve the productivity of their workplaces by connecting with these demographics, many of whom might have withdrawn from the workforce or are hesitant to search for new employment. Despite that, researchers found that most within this group are eager to find work or increase their working hours. And with that desire to work, “many already have the skills they need to do well in their desired jobs; most are more than willing to learn,” the report says. 

The report highlights a few barriers that stand between public employers and potential employees. 

Among 335 state and local employees, nearly 90 percent said they think their employers’ hiring processes filter out applications, eliminating potential candidates who could otherwise have successfully performed the job. The same percentage of executives said qualified highly, moderately and low-skilled candidates are often vetted out of the process because they don’t meet the criteria. 

Researchers found that underemployed demographics “had only a 7 percent success rate in obtaining a full-time job offer.” Roughly one in two of respondents reported that bad job-search experiences caused them to stop applying for certain types of jobs. And for 20 percent, the experience “was so discouraging that it stopped them from applying for jobs altogether.” 

The report places at least part of the blame for this on job descriptions that are overly laden with specific criteria. This can keep potential employees, who would otherwise fit the role, from applying for an open position. 

Digital hiring systems are also a culprit. 

“Applicant tracking and recruitment management systems play a vital role in automating aspects of the recruiting process. Our study found that more than 90 percent of employers use an (automated system) to filter or rank potential (candidates),” the report says. “However, because these systems are designed to maximize the efficiency of the process, they typically rely on specific parameters to identify suitable candidates.” 

Structural norms within an organization can also limit a hiring manager’s ability to identify promising candidate: “Many organizations that engage with hidden workers do so as a corporate social responsibility initiative, rather than as part of a business strategy grounded in a return on investment. This sends a signal that hiring hidden workers is an act of charity or good corporate citizenship, rather than a genuine source of competitive advantage,” the report says.  

To overcome this barrier and reach underemployed groups, the report recommends that government organizations reconsider their hiring practices and begin reaching out to underemployed groups as a competitive practice (as opposed to a social obligation). 

Other measures that can be taken highlighted by the report include changing the way automated hiring systems filter candidates, from negative to affirmative criteria; editing job descriptions to focus on critical skills; adopting an experience-based mindset as opposed to one that’s focused on candidates holding specific degrees or certificates; undertaking targeted outreach; and fostering a culture that’s supportive of inclusive hiring practices. 

Faced with an increasingly difficult job market, increasing hiring diversity and reaching underemployed demographics can be of great benefit to public employers—and not only as a way to fill vacancies. 

“Our research clearly shows that organizations that hire hidden workers benefit from improved potential, performance, and innovation. They’re also 36 percent less likely to face talent and skills shortages than organizations that don’t hire hidden workers,” the report says.