1. Five Common Misconceptions About The Unemployed
By Sabrina Baker, PHR
Human Resource Consultant and Recruiter
In the past few years more Americans than ever before have experienced job loss. Prior to
2008, the unemployment rate remained between four and six percent. Since 2008, that
rate has seen months of nine and ten percent and now hovers around the eight percent
mark. Large amounts of layoffs combined with a decrease in new hiring results in long
term unemployment for many individuals. Current reports indicate that over forty-five
percent of individuals receiving unemployment benefits have been unemployed for twentyseven weeks or more.
As employers across the nation begin to rebuild their business and bring on new staff, they
are bound to be faced with candidates who have been unemployed for a considerable
amount of time. Many misconceptions exist about these individuals and some employers
have even included clauses in their job postings that the unemployed should not apply.
This paper identifies five common misconceptions that employers often make regarding
the unemployed. It outlines why the misconceptions are often false and how companies
can overcome these misconceptions with their hiring staff. This list was compiled through
shared experiences with job seekers and working through recruitment initiatives with
companies.
The five common misconceptions are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
They are unemployed through some fault of their own.
Their skills are out of date or no longer relevant.
They do not want to work.
They just want a job.
They are not motivated.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

2. Five Common Misconceptions About The Unemployed
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They are unemployed through some fault of their own.
Misconception:
Workers who are laid-off or let go for any reason are always the lowest performers.
Reality:
It is true that in typical lay-off or reduction in force situations, employers use performance
as one indicator to determine individuals who will be let go. However, what employers
have faced in the past several years has been anything but typical. Entire departments or
even companies were eliminated. Services were sent overseas reducing the need for
literally hundreds and, in extreme cases, thousands of workers. In these cases, both highperformers and low-performers experienced the same fate. Employees at all levels from
executives to maintenance were impacted. In cases where cost savings was the driving
force for the layoffs, higher performing individuals may have been impacted over lower
performing ones. Additionally, thousands of Americans who had worked for one individual
company for most of their career were given the option of buy-out or early retirement
packages. Again, this was not because of performance, but for cost savings.
Overcoming:
It is important for employers to consider the past work history. If an individual worked for
the same company for thirty years and was then laid-off it was likely part of a bigger
reduction in force and not due to performance. Recruiters and/or hiring managers should
seek to understand from the candidate what happened that led to the departure. Probing
into work history leading up to and just before the lay-off will help better understand if
there were underlying performance issues.
Their skills are out of date or are no longer relevant.
Misconception:
When a person is not practicing job duties every day, skills are lost. Further, so many
things change quickly that candidates who have been out of work for long periods of time
would not be up to speed on new changes.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

3. Five Common Misconceptions About The Unemployed
3
Reality:
The simple truth is that in most industries things do not change that much. Even in
industries where things do change or new practices are always emerging (software for
example), job seekers have done what is necessary to ensure they have kept their skills
sharp. They have immersed themselves in industry reading and online networking groups
(such as those found on Linkedin) to ensure they are aware of any new trends. Many have
gone back to school to either study their current industry further or learn a new skill
altogether. In reality, they are probably more versed in current trends and skills than some
company's current employees.
Overcoming:
Employers who have doubts about skill relevance only have to ask the question and allow
the candidate to explain what they have been doing to keep their skills sharp. Questions
surrounding current trends or exact skills should make an employer feel comfortable with
where the job seeker's skillset lies.
They do not want to work.
Misconception:
Job seekers who have been unemployed for long periods of time must not want to work or
they would have found a job already. Another common thought is that the long term
unemployed only look for jobs to satisfy the job search requirements necessary to collect
unemployment.
Reality:
Revisiting the unemployment numbers and amount of new jobs added in the last several
years should allow simple math to disqualify this misconception. There are many more
unemployed workers than there are open positions. With so much competition for each
open job many job seekers face rejection after rejection and yet keep looking for work. As
for the idea that satisfying unemployment benefit requirements is the reason for applying
for jobs, the system itself debunks this idea. Unemployment benefits are typically not
sufficient to provide complete income replacement. They also do not provide medical
benefits which so many Americans want and need. Finally, no individual can be on
unemployment benefits for an unending amount of time.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

4. Five Common Misconceptions About The Unemployed
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Overcoming:
If an individual has the background, skills and abilities necessary to do the job as indicated
on their resume, chances are very good that they are interested and do want to work.
Employers will be able to tell after a few simple questions whether an individual is really
interested in the position or was just trying to meet a requirement.
They just want a job.
Misconception:
The long term unemployed are desperate and will take any job just to get them working
again. For individuals who are overqualified for the position they are hiring for, the
misconception is that they are just looking for anything to hold them over until they find
exactly what they want and will then leave.
Reality:
Job seekers want to find a position where they will be happy, engaged and challenged.
While financial strains can make individuals pursue opportunities that they otherwise
would not have pursued; most job seekers focus their efforts on jobs that they can thrive in.
Once an individual has gone through a period of long term unemployment they are
determined to find a company they can grow with and hopefully not repeat this season in
their life. Overqualified job seekers realize that hiring at the top level for most companies
happens internally through promotions. They understand that they may have to take a
step back to get back and work their way back into the appropriate level and are willing to
do so.
Overcoming:
Questions focused on why a candidate wants this particular job, how they see themselves
growing in the role and what keeps them challenged can ensure the hiring manger feels
comfortable that they are interested in this job and not just any job.
They are not motivated.
Misconception:
Job seekers who have been unemployed for long periods of time must not be motivated to
find a job. Also, they have become accustomed to the more laid back lifestyle that
unemployment offers and are not really motivated to work.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

5. Five Common Misconceptions About The Unemployed
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Reality:
The same truth about the "they do not want to work" misconception applies here. The long
term unemployed have been looking for work, but competition and less available jobs have
made that process harder and longer. As for the laid back lifestyle, many job seekers have
taken on extra responsibility at home or with their families to save on cost. This could
mean keeping the children home instead of daycare, helping take care of elderly or ill
family members and handling the bulk of the household chores. In addition, they volunteer
and spend time networking to aide in their job search. They are often as busy or busier
than when they were working and are not enjoying a laid back lifestyle.
Overcoming:
Asking about motivation and tapping into body language can help an interviewer
understand how interested a candidate truly is. Without probing too much into personal
details, asking candidates about activities they are involved in will help the interviewer
understand how different their current lifestyle will be from a working one.
Conclusion
Believing misconceptions without trying to understand the truth can cripple the
recruitment process. Companies who subscribe to such beliefs may be missing out on top
talent. It is the responsibility of every employer to treat each candidate fairly and
consistently. Any employer who immediately discounts an application or resume based on
length of unemployment alone may be considered in violation of laws very soon. In many
states there are proposals making such practices illegal.
Each application or resume that passes through an employer's database should be
evaluated on equal criteria which do not include current employment status. If a candidate
has the skills and abilities to do the job, they should be considered. A thorough interview
can uncover the truth about many of the misconceptions listed above. Rather than
assuming that an unemployed candidate is not motivated or has lost their ability to do the
job, have a conversation and ask as many questions as necessary to feel comfortable that
their length of unemployment has not affected their ability to do the work.
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com

6. Five Common Misconceptions About The Unemployed
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Acacia HR Solutions is a Human Resource consultancy and recruiting firm offering services
which span the full employee life cycle. Sabrina Baker, PHR, founded the firm after
experiencing her own lay off in 2010. She brings over 12 years of experience in corporate
human resources and recruiting. Sending time on both sides of the unemployment line has
made her very passionate about bridging the gap between job seekers and employers
looking for skilled talent.
The main services Acacia HR Solutions offers are broken out into two categories.
Recruitment
On a contingency or retained basis, Acacia HR Solutions used the most advanced
techniques to find the right candidate for your open role. To further motivate companies to
look at the unemployed a little differently, Acacia HR Solutions revised its recruiting fees in
2011 to offer two for one placement. When a candidate is placed with a firm who was
unemployed at the time of placement, we will place your next candidate for free.
Human Resource Consulting
We work with small business that may not have a full time HR staff or with businesses that
need to supplement the experience of their HR staff. We have the ability to cover many
areas of human resources from handbook creation to training and development. With a
distinct expertise in international human resources, Acacia HR Solutions helps companies
create a people strategy around their international endeavors.
sabrina@acaciahrsolutions.com
847.893.9756
Acacia HR Solutions
www.acaciahrsolutions.com