As blockchain technology opens up new opportunities in the world of work, the Corporate Members of the World Employment Confederation recently met and decided to lay the foundations of common action to reduce frictions in the processes of connecting people with work.

The initiative unites experts in IT / Digital of The Adecco Group, GiGroup, Kelly Services, ManpowerGroup, Randstad and RGF Staffing over a set of agreed points:

• That because so many individuals enter, or re-enter, the workforce through our industry, we share an obligation to make that experience a positive and trusted one for all candidates, workers and employers.
• That blockchain technology offers unique capabilities to enhance both data privacy and data sharing across the ecosystem of solution providers involved in connecting people with work.
• That a fundamental shift has occurred, requiring all involved in the industry to recognize that the personal data we collect about individual candidates and workers as part of the businesses we run, remains, at the core, the property of the candidate and worker.
• That a lack of standards in the data collected from candidates and workers is a contributor to the inefficiency and poor experience consistently identified in the hiring processes.
• That we are at a point in time where taking action as a collective industry body is both positive for our businesses individually and for society collectively.
• That there is now an available technology mechanism that can address the data privacy, experience of the worker and customer and control of personal data business challenges effectively; therefore, defining a standard is in the best interest of all stakeholders.

In 2020, the World Employment Confederation expects further breakthroughs in how technology will enhance the worker’s journey. Feeding off the unique insights and data sets of its Corporate Members, efforts will be geared towards recommending a common set of worker data that can reside on a block, guidelines/best practices, and use cases for which we – and the candidates and workers -, and others across industry, can utilize this data block to make it easier for people to enter and re-enter the workforce.

The World Employment Confederation and its Corporate Members are ready to work with all stakeholders active in the field of blockchain technology and its applications in employment services in order to create a positive and trusted experience for candidates, workers and employers.