The hiring bias that nobody talks… To be discriminated against because you are out of work

So, why are you not working now?

Imagine the scene. After being unemployed for the last six months, you finally get an interview. It’s a telephone interview; however, you’re feeling positive. You’re thinking your career will get back on track after moving abroad, you’ve planned for the call, and you’re ready.

However, the first question is – “Why are you not working?”

While you can explain the answer very well, because ever since you chose to live and work abroad, and regardless of your experience, your knowledge and your skills from your previous roles, this is one of the first question you always get asked? What do you say? How do you respond? Has this happened to you?

If you have been in this situation, and you’re still looking for your place in the job market, we would like to support you here at Empowerment Foundation.

45 per cent!

The number 45. This is why we want to help you. In an article by Gregor Jarosch and Laura Pilossoph published on the WEForum website in 2016, it states that “Estimates from the Current Populating Survey show that the probability of finding a job declines the longer one is unemployed’, and ‘…long term unemployed Workers can be up to 45 per cent less likely to receive interview invitations than newly unemployed or currently employed people who look just like them.

45 per cent! In what we imagine to be an already courageous decision to move abroad, having to deal with this as well can make you feel overwhelmed. You have done everything right. You have researched companies and yet when you send out resumes, there is no success. And when you eventually get an interview, you have this rock on your shoulder about the gap in your work history.

How can we collaborate?

Our aim is to give you as a non-Dutch speaker in the employment market a voice. We want to ensure you have a better sense of self in what we don’t want to become an intimidating transition into the Dutch job market. And, we want to make sure that the time you invest in your job search is invested in the best way.

We have tremendous knowledge and experience within our team, which can guide and support you to navigate the job market and put you in the right direction. And help you to answer the question about your work history.

One of the ways we do this is via our Empowerment Foundation Career Pop-Up events. Each session focuses on a specific area of getting into the job market and is run by well-respected, knowledgeable and skilled facilitators. Outside of the face-to-face space, we also share information, great hints and tips and our event schedule via our LinkedIn and Facebook pages, which will ensure you can keep up to date with our events. And for those of you who are more visual, we also have an incredible Instagram page.

It’s time to thrive.

Looking forward, we want you to get that interview, and when you are asked about your work history, you will be prepared with the confidence and know-how to have an awesome response. Find out more by contacting us here.