Open Hiring®: Inclusive and Motivational Hiring for Sustainable Employability

Abstract

Open Hiring® is an inclusive staffing method that removes application barriers, encountered in traditional hiring, by society’s most vulnerable groups. With Open Hiring® the job is the test: There are no resumes, interviews or psychological tests. Open Hiring® offers employment opportunities based on candidates’ motivation and willingness to work. First introduced in New York, the concept of Open Hiring® was adopted and tested in Flanders with support of the European Social Fund. While employers expressed concerns about not being able to screen candidates beforehand, they were moderate to positive about Open Hiring®. Employees hired through Open Hiring® were highly motivated and satisfied regarding their autonomy, ability to develop their competencies, and sense of relatedness. Hence, Open Hiring® provided Flemish employers a way to attract intrinsically motivated employees during periods of labor market tightness. Findings may inspire political and organizational leaders to further explore inclusive and motivational staffing methods, such as Open Hiring®, that strengthen social and economic welfare by promoting sustainable employability and inclusive workplaces.