Twenty-seven million forgotten workers: underemployed, or simply unemployed. It is the number of “hidden workers” in the United States that highlights, a recent study carried out by Professor Joseph Fuller, of Harvard Business School, with expert consultants from the Accenture group. In these times of post-Covid economic recovery and the rise of unfulfilled job vacancies, the enormity of the figure is shocking.
Especially since the phenomenon is not limited to the borders of America. The survey is based on a survey of 8,000 “forgotten workers” and 2,250 American, British and German leaders. When employers multiply the marks of goodwill, bonuses and flexibility of the supporting offer, it is astonishing that such a volume of qualified people escapes their radar. And yet, it is indeed the case: 88% of employers admit that lots of very good candidates are screened out by their recruiting services.
Why this massive loss? Part of the answer lies in the use of software! Those called ARS (Automated Recruiting System) and RMS (Recruiting Management and Marketing System). These software are supposed to facilitate the migration of job postings on the Internet. Online classifieds should make it possible to reach a larger audience and diversify the responses. In fact, underlines the study of Professor Fuller, an offer attracted an average of 120 applications at the beginning of the 2010 decade, when today 250 amateurs are rushing.
“Unrealistic” criteria
The latest software, equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning, support the entire process, from job description to selection of applicants … And this is where the “Untapped talents” disappear, because, explains the professor, “They are not perfect candidates”.
When recruiters incorporate the necessary essential qualifications into the job posting, they too often include criteria “Not crazy, but unrealistic”, emphasizes Mr. Fuller. The candidate with a gap of more than six months in his CV automatically goes by the wayside. The one who does not have a university degree follows him closely, just like the convict. These filters automatically screen out qualified candidates for a position that does not require higher education.
The software also gets rid of the young mother who took a few months to take care of her baby, or the experienced employee who looked after a sick relative. Then “Some recruiters have extreme demands, he continues. The nurse, for example, must be able to enter patient information into the computer. We want her to know how to program. There is also the case of the installer of cable TV, Internet and telephone. His employer would like him to sell additional services… we require a degree in marketing. “
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