Call for employers to involve disadvantaged young people in recruitment
Joe Lepper
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Employers are being called on by a charity to directly involve young people from low-income backgrounds in their recruitment decisions.
The move would help employers improve diversity across their workforce and tackle barriers to employment faced by disadvantaged young people, according to the charity EY Foundation.
Its Breaking Barriers report calls for young people’s views to “be embedded within decision-making processes”. This should be though employers offering paid opportunities for young people to assess how the organisation engages with their age group.
This work could involve assessing work experience placements and reviewing outreach initiatives to ensure they are meeting the needs of young disadvantaged people.
Young people could also be tasked with “youth proofing” job adverts and provide feedback on career pathways offered by the organisation.
Employers’ support for the mental health and wellbeing of its workers is another area young disadvantaged people can provide insight into, said EY Foundation.
The charity also wants employers is to ensure young people in school or college taking part in work experience receive the living wage.
In addition, job descriptions and the application process should be overhauled to remove barriers to work faced by disadvantaged young people.
For example, listing jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed “is unlikely to reach” young people on low incomes.
“A more targeted approach is needed by circulating opportunities with schools, colleges, universities, local careers hubs and other agencies in areas with higher levels of deprivation,” said EY Foundation.
Also recommended is using social media platforms used by young people such as Instagram and TikTok and include features such as ‘a day in the life’ of their young workers to offer more insight into jobs.
Clear job descriptions explaining salary and “what pro-rata means” is also encouraged, as is giving details of flexible working opportunities.
“Employers should adjust expectations” during probationary periods too, adds the charity and increase the level of support to young workers from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they “are equipped to thrive”.
Other recommendations include employers offering young people the chance to job shadow their workers during “insight days”. Young workers should also be offered mentoring support to plan their career path.
“Our hope is these recommendations will ensure young people from low-income backgrounds are better supported to overcome the specific recruitment and progression challenges they often face,” said EY Foundation chief executive Lynne Peabody.
EY Foundation warns that pupils eligible for free school meals are three times more likely than their peers to be unemployed by the age of 27.
Meanwhile, in Birmingham a scheme has launched to help homeless, care experienced young people access work, training and housing.
The scheme has been launched by housing provider Lovell in partnership with among others Birmingham City Council and youth homelessness charity St Basils.
Through the scheme Lovell will offer job opportunities in areas including engineering and architecture.
