The project examines employers’ strategies for hiring people disadvantaged in the labor market, with a particular focus on individuals living in generational poverty and members of marginalized Roma communities (MRC), to narrow the mismatch between labor supply and demand.

The project investigates how mainstream employers (outside the social economy) design recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies for jobseekers facing multiple, intersectional barriers—especially people living in generational poverty and members of marginalized Roma communities- noting that Roma in Europe are among the most disadvantaged groups, especially those living in Roma communities. It is grounded in the hypothesis that, alongside strengthening candidates’ capacities, the practical work integration requires also calibrating employer expectations, workplace practices, and support ecosystems to the real capacities of workers. It is essential to adjust employers’ expectations and procedures—from recruitment through onboarding and workplace adaptation.

The project maps the motivations and expectations of mainstream employers, their cooperation with employment-service providers, and the types of support they consider adequate (including approaches such as job crafting/carving and multidimensional coaching).

Methodologically, it draws on qualitative interviews, observation, and case studies of selected U.S. approaches and organizations, with particular emphasis on leveraging insights from neuroscience to explain the behavior of people living in poverty.

The aim is to develop a theoretical framework of employers’ attitudes and strategies, identify transferable examples of good practice and lessons learned, and prepare recommendations for the Slovak context. Findings will be translated into expert publications and applied in the design of public policies and support programs, making a tangible impact on the ground.

ABOUT THE RESEARCHER

Zuzana Polačková (Slovak Republic) – researcher at the Centre for Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses on the social economy and social entrepreneurship, employment and employability, with a primary emphasis on Roma and people with disabilities, regional development, and the quadruple helix approach to development. In her activities, she strives to connect academic knowledge with practical applications.

She is recognized as a co-author of the national Act on Social Economy and Social Enterprise. She is heavily involved in the development of the social economy ecosystem in Slovakia, leading discussions on the conceptualization of social innovation in the country. She is also a member of the EC’s GECES Working Group on Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship, as well as several advisory/steering committees for initiatives/programs implemented by government and public sector organizations, or by the non-profit sector.