Refers to individuals who are willing and able to work but are systematically excluded from employment opportunities due to hiring practices—most notably the use of automated applicant tracking systems (ATS), credential filters, and rigid job requirements that screen out qualified candidates. As a result, these workers remain “hidden” from employers despite possessing relevant skills, experience, and potential.

Research in 2023 from Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work shows that increased reliance on technology and changing demographics have shaped the way companies hire. Hiring processes are designed to find top candidates in an efficient manner, but in doing so systematically exclude several categories of qualified workers, including caregivers, veterans, the formerly incarcerated, those with disabilities, etc. Companies who have hired one or more of these groups of hidden workers report that these workers are more loyal and perform better on several key metrics compared to traditional sources of talent. With many companies facing a talent shortage, hiring these hidden workers is proposed as a solution by researchers.