SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in Smartbrief on Workforce — tracks feedback from leading managers and HR practitioners. We run the poll question each Thursday in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: Has your company barred the unemployed from applying for or getting jobs at your company?
- No — we have no preference, 79%
- No — but we do prefer employed people, 16%
- Yes — it’s our rule across the board, 3%
- Yes, but only for limited positions, 1%
Nearly 4 in 5 companies have no preference when it comes to whether a candidate is employed or not when they apply. If that sounds high (and it did to me initially), consider this: My experience of dealing with unemployed candidate bias is entirely based on hiring managers not wanting to do it, not company policy. Employers with many people in the hiring process should ensure that this message is heard loud and clear.
Lance Haun is community director for ERE.net, the main guy over at Rehaul.com and a member of the SmartBrief on Workforce Advisory Board.