5 ways to diversify your recruiting and hire untapped talent

Published May 28, 2021 10:00 AM EDT 1 Min Read

After a year of economic uncertainty and staggering unemployment rates, the job market is ready for — and anticipating — a big change. But do companies know where to find top talent in a post-pandemic world?

The expected hiring frenzy will coincide with an increased focus on building diverse and inclusive workforces, though reports show that good intentions don’t always result in action: a recent study by HireVue showed that while 100% of employers claim to be committed to improving diversity, just 33% have actually done something about it.

When Hannah Olson was diagnosed with Lyme disease in her early 20s, her treatment plan required her to be on an IV for six hours a day, preventing her from being able to work in a traditional office and ultimately forcing her to leave her dream job. “It really made me wonder if there’s a place for people with illness and disability in the workplace,” Olson says. Now, as the founder and CEO of Chronically Capable, a job platform that connects workers with chronic illness to employees who offer remote opportunities, she’s making sure there is.

Since launching in 2020, nearly 50,000 job seekers have joined the Chronically Capable platform, which partners with employers including Postmates, Wikimedia Foundation and Horizon Therapeutics. Nearly 400 workers have been placed in jobs with a 100% retention rate. “The rate of chronic illness is rising, and employers across the globe have started to realize they must take care of their employees,” Olson says. “This has to be a part of strategy now.”

Stephanie Schomer

Editor-in-chief

Stephanie Schomer is the editor-in-chief of Employee Benefit News. She was most recently the deputy editor of Entrepreneur magazine and previously held positions at Entertainment Weekly, … Read full bio