The interest in social recruitment is on the rise!
2020 is the year of meaningful social impact driven by the wider recruitment industry. One of the companies leading through direct action is Radical Recruit founded by Emma Freivogel. As a social recruitment consultancy with their mission being to represent those who are underrepresented in the labour market. With such a powerful manifesto, we just had to find out more!
We open with a simple question. What is Radical Recruit?. Emma explains
“We work with people that come from homelessness, people that have had contact with the criminal justice system and care systems. We work with young people who aren’t in education, employment or training. People with disabilities, people who come from BAME backgrounds and returned veterans. Pretty much anyone who struggles to get a foot in the labour market.”
We follow with why Radical Recruit?. Emma tells us that she has “always worked with disadvantaged communities”, “I’ve always been passionate about working with vulnerable people and mobilising people out of poverty”. Emma shares her story, of her now Advisor, Chanel and it’s both powerful and inspirational!
Ethical companies are always looking to learn and improve
To distinguish between the show’s title and Emma’s reference to social recruitment, we ask her to define the difference. Emma’s response
“Social recruitment refers to an ethical recruitment practice, where the policy and process that is fair and inclusive for every different type of job seeker regardless of their background and experience.”
Talking more broadly about the experience that companies have engaged with her and the team, she tells us the first question she asks is “why do you want to work with Radical and other companies doing this piece.” As she mentions that sometimes it’s viewed as a “charitable exchange” which is a misconception, “candidates want to secure the roles on their own merit!”.
We progress through to a great question. What is an ethical business?. Emma’s opinion is that
“Businesses behaviours and actions define their own status when it comes to being ethical.” “Ethical businesses are those that attempt to do the right thing, and when they fail, they aim to improve their practices.”
One question that really helped to differentiate Radical Recruit from mainstream recruitment companies was posed by Katrina “what do you do differently that sets you apart?”. Emma explains that “we have an honest conversation with the candidate to assess whether they are work-ready, because we are really serious about getting people into work.”
If that wasn’t enough, below you’ll hear Emma talk about:
- Referral partners and channels for social recruitment
- Assessing candidates for work readiness
- Building relationships, coaching and mentoring
- Testing candidate motivations
- Understanding the challenges for ex-offenders
- Success stories of candidates and progressive businesses
- The importance of employers offering support, development opportunities and career pathways
