Recruiting without applications? What lies behind open hiring

A new job without an application or interview? What sounds unrealistic at first is part of a unique recruiting concept: In so-called open hiring, vacant positions are filled without a prior selection process. The vacancy is simply advertised and the first person to apply is hired. This is intended to save time in the application process. In addition, the process is not influenced by prejudice and supports diversity in companies, as factors such as gender, age, or previous experience do not come into play.

The concept originated in the USA and was first used in the 1980s in Yonkers, a city in the state of New York, in a bakery. This gave homeless people and those with criminal records a chance at a job without them having to justify their circumstances in advance. The concept was a success: a small bakery with a café developed into a large industrial bakery that now employs around 120 people – still using open hiring and with a foundation that aims to convince other companies to adopt this concept.

Despite this success, the concept remains rather niche. This is also due to the disadvantages that arise from this procedure: on the one hand, it does not necessarily increase equal opportunities, and on the other hand, open hiring does not work for more complex jobs with specific requirements. Therefore, a hybrid form actually makes more sense, explains an expert from the Institute for Employment Research. Speaking of opportunities, take a look at our job of the week at the Entrepreneurial Foundation for Equal Opportunities below.

We were also interested in these topics:

• Career opportunities: Until now, coming from an academic household has been virtually a prerequisite for a good career in Germany. Die Zeit (€) has analyzed what working-class children need in order to assert themselves more easily.

• Emotional labor: In professional life, stress arises not only from the actual activities, but also from the suppression of one's own feelings. The SZ (€) explains why this is such a big problem and how to deal with it; a summary is also available on Instagram.

• US strikes: Two months ago, we reported on the strikes by screenwriters and actors in Hollywood. Now, at least the writers' union has provisionally reached an agreement with its employers – which could be particularly groundbreaking for the regulation of AI in creative professions.

• AI in the workplace: In creative professions, unregulated AI can quickly become a problem, as the example of Hollywood shows. But what about the consulting industry? A study by Harvard Business School and MIT investigated this question and found that the use of AI improves the work of consultants by up to 40%. However, the Institute for New Economic Thinking has researched why some researchers believe that the use of AI will lead to an increase in “horrible jobs.”

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