The document outlines 5 reasons why companies should hire the long term unemployed. It notes that over 3.6 million Americans are considered unemployable due to being out of work for over 6 months. The 5 reasons provided are: 1) Increasing the talent pool by considering more candidates, 2) Fresh perspectives from time spent reflecting on careers, 3) Varied experience from short term contracts, 4) Large professional networks developed, and 5) Enthusiasm and loyalty from those eager to rejoin the workforce. Hiring the long term unemployed can provide benefits to companies and help address economic problems.

1. Five Reasons to Hire the Long Term Unemployed
By Sabrina Baker, PHR
Human Resource Consultant and Recruiter
FAST FACTS:
An experiment conducted by Rand
Ghayad at Northeastern
University in 2013 highlighted the
fact that companies would rather
interview and hire individuals
with less experience who had only
been out of work a few months
over individuals with more
experience who had been out of
work six months or longer.
This means that as of the writing
of this paper, there are currently
3.6 million Americans who this
criterion deems unemployable.
The Economy and Long-Term Unemployment:
Both The Great Depression and the tough economic
times of recent years left millions of Americans
unemployed. Many of these were the result of
companies shutting their doors or so significantly
downsizing that entire departments were laid off.
Individuals who had been with companies for twenty
plus years and those with companies for just a few
months were impacted. From the C-suite to front line
employees, no one has been exempt from possible
reductions in force.
Now, as happened after The Great Depression, longterm unemployment is causing problems for both
businesses and individuals. World War II had the
unexpected side effect of solving this problem after
The Great Depression, however this time around;
there is little relief in sight.
At the end of January, President Obama met with business leaders from nearly 300
businesses urging them to take a pledge to not intentionally or inadvertently discriminate
against the long term unemployed. While that meeting and pledge by companies is a step
in the right direction, more companies will need to commit to hiring the long term
unemployed to truly eradicate this problem.
Misconceptions:
There are many misconceptions about the long term unemployed. Identifying them as lazy,
problem performers or possessing out of date skill sets to name a few. The reality is that
most ideas about the long term unemployed are false. Many of them are just as qualified to
do the task at hand as the person who is still employed or has only been without work for a
short time.
The rest of this paper is designed to share five reasons to hire the long term unemployed.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

2. 5 Reasons to Hire the Long Term Unemployed
2
Increasing the Talent Pool:
There are over 10 million people unemployed in the US, yet a large
number of American companies still claim having a hard time filling
open positions. Often times, companies are limiting their own
talent pool by discounting candidates based on several factors. The
length of unemployment, or the fact that they are unemployed at all,
is one of those factors.
Often companies think that if the unemployed individual had any
skills someone would have hired them already. In a culture where
stigma is placed on unemployment, that is simply not the case. If
companies want to expand their talent pool by millions of people,
considering the long term unemployed as employable is a great
step.
Acacia HR Solutions is
a Human Resource Consulting
and Recruiting firm located in
the Chicago suburbs. To help
encourage companies to
think differently about hiring
the unemployed, the firm
offers a free placement upon
the successful placement of
an unemployed candidate.
That means the company
gets two candidates placed
for the price of one.
Fresh Perspective:
It is amazing how a little time off can change your perspective. The
long term unemployed have had some time to think about things. They have thought about
how they have done business before and how they might do it differently in the future.
They have looked back over their career peaks and valleys and have thought about ways to
recreate the peaks and avoid the valleys. This kind of thinking can breathe new life into a
workplace. It can bring fresh perspective that changes the way business groups work.
Varied Experience:
Many job seekers these days are taking short term contracts to keep their skills relevant
and to help them out financial until they find full time employment. These short term
contracts often give them varied experience that the typical worker may not have.
Especially if the individual has taken on consulting projects or work that they have to do
additional duties for, such as sales or marketing, their skill set has expanded as a result.
While many leaders think that the unemployed have outdated skill sets, the reality is, their
skill set may actually be more advanced than other candidates.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

3. 5 Reasons to Hire the Long Term Unemployed
3
Network:
All good job seekers these days are spending countless hours every day building their
network. It is the first rule of job seeking and as a result they may possess a large contact
list. This network has likely helped them stay current, pointed them in the direction of
potential jobs and been a resource for them throughout their search. This network will
likely continue to be a resource for them after they find full time work and can also serve as
an added benefit to the company where appropriate.
Enthusiasm and Loyalty:
The long term unemployed are eager to get back into the workforce. They are eager to
prove themselves and contribute positively in a work environment. They are not
disenchanted as many working employees are and are enthusiastic about the job in front of
them. Because of the stigma they have faced, they are likely to be very loyal to the company
that does give them an opportunity. According to CareerBuilder, 21% of workers are
looking for new work. The long term unemployed offer a loyalty to their employer that
current workers do not. They are thankful for the opportunity and recognize their
responsibility to their employer.
Conclusion:
The long term unemployed have faced and continue to face many challenges in our
economic climate. Employers who are able to look beyond length of unemployment and
truly assess skill set and cultural fit will not only open up their talent pool to a vast group of
qualified individuals, but will contribute to the overall health of our nation. This is one area
where it is very easy for companies to make a difference if they can just overcome internal
biases.
sabrina@acaciahrsolutions.com
847.893.9756
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com