How to Make the Most of Hiring Candidates from Underemployed Groups

Skills shortages and new skill requirements rank among the biggest challenges recruiters face today. To address those issues, employers need a world-class, highly skilled workforce. Developing such a workforce takes a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy that considers various groups of untapped talent.

Talented individuals in traditionally underemployed groups are eager to enter the workforce, but they are often overlooked as job candidates. Hiring people from these candidate pools is far from an act of charity: It’s good business. 

Underemployed groups can offer unique perspectives and latent potential for your organization, as well as enhancing diversity and driving growth. Here are steps to help you effectively expand your search for top-notch employees while overcoming biases and optimizing your recruitment process.

Step 1: Identify Overlooked Talent Pools 

These are some of the talent pools you might be overlooking:

Neurodiverse workers: Neurodiversity refers to a range of neurological variations, including dyslexia, autism, and ADHD. Neurodiverse workers are often more detail-oriented, more creative, and better at problem-solving than neurotypical people. You gain more innovative employees by creating a supportive workplace that values people with different cognitive styles. 

To attract this talent, employers should review their recruitment processes and ensure they don’t inadvertently exclude this population. A large panel interview can be overwhelming for someone with autism, for example. 

Second-chance hires: Individuals with a criminal history can offer valuable skills and life experiences. With appropriate background checks and support systems, they can be productive and loyal employees. A mentoring program can help these employees feel like part of the organization more quickly and help them avoid common job pitfalls. 

Some states have enacted “clean slate laws” to push for greater employment of individuals previously convicted of crimes, and a growing number of companies are helping people with criminal histories find employment and re-enter the workforce.

People with disabilities: Many people in this group have the qualifications necessary for the modern workforce but face discrimination because of their differences. While these workers may ask for accommodations, that won’t stop them from being an asset to your organization. And those changes don’t always break the bank. Nearly half of reported accommodations for workers with disabilities can be made at no cost, and the median cost for those that require a one-time expense is $300, according to a Job Accommodation Network survey of employer data from 2019 to 2024.  

Promoting your company’s track record of employing people with disabilities can go a long way toward recruiting this population. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a tool that provides access to more than 700 accommodation ideas for workers with disabilities and their employers. 

Stay-at-home parents: Many of these candidates honed ample skills in their careers before deciding to work as a primary caregiver. The biggest thing they need from potential employers is flexibility. Offer part-time roles, remote work options, or flexible hours to attract these candidates. For working mothers, employer support can mean the difference between barely surviving and fully thriving in the workplace. 

Older workers: This group offers considerable expertise and opportunities for mentoring. They have more technical knowledge than they are given credit for, and they are often strong at relationship-building and leadership. Align your recruitment messaging with values that resonate with older workers, such as stability, integrity, and social responsibility.

Veterans and military spouses: Each year, 200,000 U.S. service members transition to civilian life, bringing invaluable skills and leadership with them. Companies open to giving veterans and military spouses the flexibility they need to succeed can benefit from their resilience, adaptability, determination, and loyalty. Discover key strategies for hiring and retaining veterans in the SHRM Foundation’s report, Completing the Mission: Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring Veterans. 

Opportunity youth: The cohort of individuals ages 16 to 24 who are disconnected from school and work—known as “opportunity youth”—represents a large store of untapped potential, according to a report that SHRM, the SHRM Foundation, and the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity released in April 2024. Opportunity youth can bring fresh perspectives and an eagerness to learn, but they may need logistical support. Ask upfront about transportation and consider providing travel vouchers or making schedule adjustments.

Partnering with organizations that invest in preparing opportunity youth for the workforce can be helpful in recruiting them. The majority of companies that partner with advocacy or community-based organizations to recruit and employ people in this demographic report positive results, the April 2024 research found.

Candidates who don’t have college degrees: People from this group can bring problem-solving skills developed through real-world challenges. Major employers such as Dell, IBM, Bank of America, and Liberty Mutual have eliminated the college degree requirement for most of their jobs. Get started by revising job descriptions to focus on skills and looking for certifications that demonstrate an industry-approved level of expertise. 

Global talent: Hiring international professionals could enhance your company’s cultural intelligence and ability to navigate global markets. Accessing a global talent pool with specialized skills and experiences could also increase your organization’s language capabilities and facilitate international communication. Competitive perks your organization can use to attract global talent include dependent support, green card sponsorship, employer-covered relocation expenses, and employer-covered housing costs.

SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, discusses the challenges facing organizations globally—and how employers and government can be part of the solution—in this 2018 video with The Hershey Co.'s then-Chief Human Resources Officer Kevin Walling.

Step 2: Refocus Your Recruitment Mindset 

Recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers eager to avoid the costs of making a bad hiring decision often identify potential red flags based on factors such as age, criminal history, disability, and immigration status. To avoid discriminating against potential candidates, implement the following practices instead:

• Focus on the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) you seek for the position when reviewing resumes and job applications. 

• Recognize other nontangible skills that a candidate may possess. Look for a passion and willingness to learn.

• Transparency in salary information can help dismantle economic barriers that might prevent candidates in these groups from considering certain positions. By openly sharing salary ranges, companies demonstrate a commitment to fair pay and can attract talent that might have otherwise been deterred by salary secrecy. 

• Harvard Business Review suggests including on your website’s recruitment page a note from your CEO discussing your company’s efforts to hire people with disabilities, messages from employees with disabilities about their experiences at your company, and numbers that illustrate your company’s record of hiring and promoting people with disabilities.

Step 3: Revise Your Hiring Procedures 

In addition to looking critically at how you review resumes, examining other hiring procedures will help ensure that your organization is not overlooking skilled talent. Here are some suggestions:

• Focus job advertisements on the desired KSAs for the job rather than on education, experience, or other requirements that may not be necessary.  

• Give applicants a chance to tell their stories by asking for cover letters, prerecorded video interviews, or short questionnaires.

• Consider alternatives to a traditional interview, such as asking a less verbal candidate to demonstrate proficiencies by completing sample tasks or small projects. 

• Make your careers website usable for people with disabilities.

• Periodically review your application software to make sure you are searching for relevant information and not inadvertently screening out the resumes of individuals who could positively contribute to your organization.  

• Implement artificial intelligence-driven tools to identify and eliminate biases in job ads and application processes.

Step 4: Train Your Hiring Teams

After you review hiring procedures, it’s time to train recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers on how to review resumes and conduct interviews in a way that does not overlook qualified talent. Ensure that those involved in the hiring process can identify the KSAs of candidates and talk with candidates to help them translate their KSAs to the job opening. 

If you need training resources:

• SHRM Specialty Credentials allow HR professionals to demonstrate targeted competence in several key areas, including talent acquisition and U.S. employment immigration.  

• SHRM also offers training specific to hiring veterans, including resources on military culture that will better equip HR professionals and employers in hiring, onboarding, and retaining former service members. 

• The SHRM Foundation has free programs such as the Getting Talent Back to Work Certificate and the Veterans at Work Certificate.  

Step 5: Create or Expand Job Training Programs

Research from SHRM and TalentLMS in 2022 found that 83% of HR managers believe training is a recruitment tool. Ways to maximize training efforts include: 

• Expand job training to new hires: Employers may increase their ability to attract talent from underemployed groups if they are willing to train new hires on the skills needed for key positions. Survey existing workers to determine core skills, and develop training programs for hires who may not yet possess those skills but show a desire to learn. Then be sure to recognize employees who reach training goals.

• Offer apprenticeships: Apprenticeship.gov from the DOL connects career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources. Businesses that register their apprenticeship programs with the DOL can access many benefits, including a nationwide network of expertise and support at no cost, tax credits in many states, and funding and other resources from federal programs.  

• Promote your job training at high schools: Spreading the word about employment opportunities for students and high school graduates, as well as creating training programs that teach desired skills to this younger generation, can boost a company’s reputation and increase the number of qualified applicants for its entry-level positions. Develop beginner-friendly modules that gradually introduce complex concepts.

Step 6: Network with Resources in Your Community

• Employers may uncover untapped talent pools by actively seeking out community resources and networking opportunities. Partnering with local colleges and universities is the most obvious way to build a talent pipeline for your business, as it can help you find qualified applicants for internships and full-time entry-level positions. Other examples include:

• Looking for recruiting events in your area or networking within your local SHRM chapter to learn of networking opportunities.

• Reaching out to counselors or administrators at local high schools or the Board of Education to initiate a relationship.

• Checking out workforce development programs, which often feature internships, apprenticeships, and coursework that tie learning and student experiences to employer needs.

• Locating and investing in creative training programs for underserved populations, such as prison inmates and individuals with autism.

1. Make the connection and designate a point of contact.
2. Understand each other's needs and capabilities.
3. Set goals for both the business and the community college.
4. Agree on what resources will be used and how long you're willing to make a commitment.
5. Bring in additional partners to help reach the goals (if needed).
6. Set requirements for the participants.
7. Determine the resources needed to sustain the partnership in the long term.
8. Know and show the value within your company and the institution.
9. Grow the partnership to other company locations.
10. Set measures to inform program success and share your story.

Source: The Aspen Institute. 

Step 7: Measure the Effectiveness of Your Hiring

You need data to quantify the effectiveness of your hiring strategy. Here are three things to measure:  

• Track the length of employment as a primary metric. This will help you determine the sustainability of employment within your organization for these groups and identify areas where your company needs to make improvements. 

• Measure the retention rates of employees from underemployed groups compared to other cohorts. Conduct regular surveys to assess job satisfaction and engagement levels. 

• Compare the performance of hires from underemployed groups against established benchmarks and use that data to assess training needs or opportunities. Quality of hire is difficult to calculate, but data analytics gives hiring managers and recruiters a more accurate snapshot of the connection between the hiring process and post-hire business outcomes.

Step 8: Identify Available Tax Credits

Hiring people from certain underemployed groups, such as veterans and those with disabilities, can allow employers to take advantage of tax credits and other incentives. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a federal tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from groups that have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veteran Readiness and Employment program works to match veterans with employers and offers incentives such as salary subsidies, salary reimbursement, and assistive technology. The IRS also has resources on tax benefits for businesses that have employees with disabilities.

Additional Skills Gap Resources:

Articles:

5 Ways Companies Are Addressing Skills Gaps in Their Workforce

Employers Train Employees to Close the AI Skills Gap

How to Attract and Support Neurodiverse Talent

Scaling Up Skills

The Blue-Collar Drought

Where can employers find qualified applicants with disabilities?

Toolkits and Research:

2023-2024 SHRM State of the Workplace Report

Employing Individuals with Criminal Records

Creating a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace

Employing People with Cognitive Disabilities

Employing Older Workers

Recruiting Internally and Externally