5 reasons to hire the unemployed

For some reason, we’re all just a little suspicious of unemployed workers. After all, if they’re that great they would still have a job, right? Wrong. Here are 5 good reasons why you should hire an unemployed candidate:

1. You can freely check references

If you’re worried about how an unemployed candidate lost their job, just follow up on their references. You wouldn’t be able to do this if they were in work.

2. They want to be at work

Workers who were previously out of work really appreciate their job. This makes them work harder and be more enthusiastic. This also has a positive effect on other people in your office.

3. They can start sooner

You won’t have to wait for unemployed candidates to work out lengthy notice periods before starting. In fact, unless relocation is involved, they can normally start immediately.

4. They’ve had time to improve their skills

Some people worry that jobless people’s skills have gone stale. In some fast moving industries, this could well be the case. But often, they’ll have used their newly freed up hours to learn new skills.

5. They’re motivated

It’s soul destroying to lose a job in this climate. If somebody’s job search is still going strong, they must be very motivated. It’s tempting to rule out jobless candidates – they’ve had some bad publicity lately! But really, you could be losing out on a great team member.