Employers' attitude, intention, skills and barriers in relation to employment of vulnerable workers.
G Hulsegge, W Otten, H A van de Ven and 2 others
PMID 35723149WHAT IT FOUND
Organizations with inclusive HR practices, government compensation usage, and social inclusion missions were far more likely to employ vulnerable workers.
Small organizations showed the strongest links between these skills and actual hiring, suggesting targeted employer support is key.
Key findings
01Having a social inclusion mission, using inclusive HR practices, and accessing government compensation options were strongly associated with actually employing vulnerable workers.
02The relationship between employer factors and hiring was strongest in small organizations, particularly for mission statements, inclusive practices, and compensation options.
03Inclusive organizations expected more negative impacts from hiring vulnerable workers than non-inclusive ones, yet still employed them, suggesting intention and skills outweigh attitude.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions; we do not know if skills facilitate hiring or if hiring improves skills. Low response rate (20%) may introduce selection bias. Data relied on single informants and self-report, susceptible to social desirability bias. Vulnerable groups were aggregated, so findings may not apply to specific disabilities or conditions. Employer factors were dichotomized, potentially losing nuance in the strength of relationships.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study used data from the Netherlands Employers Work Survey, which is a public dataset.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving employer attitudes alone will increase hiring. The study found that inclusive organizations actually expected more negative impacts than non-inclusive ones. The key drivers were concrete skills, such as using government compensation options and implementing inclusive HR practices, and a formal mission to hire.