The principle of “open employment,” an American concept in which people are hired very quickly, even without an interview, can provide relief to a tight job market. This is what the consulting firm Emino and the Dutch Start Foundation say.
“Open Recruitment” is a quick way to get hired without a long selection procedure and even without an interview. Candidates sign up for a waiting list for a vacancy. First come first gets the job. Some companies in our country, such as Zorgband Leie and Schelde, are already using this concept. Last year, the University of Ghent also carried out a pilot study, in collaboration with the entrepreneurial organization Unizo Oost-Vlaanderen.
The VDAB (Flemish Service for Employment and Vocational Training) also supports this concept. “There are 1.7 candidates for each vacancy,” explains VDAB spokeswoman Jock van Bommel. “We just welcome these kinds of initiatives. There are simply not enough people available to fill all the positions.”
Entry level position
Joe Keener, US CEO of Greyston Backery, came to Benelux to make a case for the concept his company has been using for years. “With Open Hiring, as a job candidate, you put your name on a list,” explains Kenner. “If a place becomes available, the first person on the list gets the job.”
This concept is used specifically for so-called “entry level jobs”, where little experience is required. The applicant also immediately receives on-the-job training after signing the contract. “If your name is on the list, the job is for you,” says the Start Foundation founder from the Netherlands. “The concept can be misused, so we ensure it is applied as it should be.”
In “open recruitment,” factors such as history (“gaps” in a resume and criminal record) or the applicant’s skin color may play no role. The concept could also work well for people who have given up on applying for jobs or are looking for better hours.
Click on Potential Employment Reserve
Ultimately, the concept should lead to a more inclusive job market. “The only thing that matters is the appetite,” concluded Emino Consulting. “Recruitment via ‘open recruitment’ provides the opportunity to tap into a potential labor reserve, a reserve that either does not find its way into firms today or does not pass through classical selection mechanisms.”
Open Employment originated in 1982 in New York. This is where Greyston Bakery was founded to combat poverty and crime by creating jobs for a group of people who face barriers to starting in a systematic manner in sustainable employment.
Research (UGent, ed.) shows that there is a 22 percent chance that Belgian companies can fill vacancies using this method.
VDAB excluded four unemployed people from benefits last year: “a very severe penalty that is rarely used”
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