The Hidden Hiring Biases Facing Portland’s Homeless Community

 

In Portland, individuals experiencing housing instability also have barriers prohibiting opportunity to enter the workforce. One of the least acknowledged, yet damaging, barriers is the narrow definition of “professionalism.” According to the article from Stanford Social Innovation Review, professionalism often reflects white, middle class cultural norms favoring unspoken cultural cues, dress codes, and communication styles of speaking. Timely availability for interviews, consistent communication channels, and certain interpersonal skills are assumed standards not accommodations. This bias excludes qualified, capable people based on their inability to perform an aesthetic ideal. Worse still, it reinforces the idea that people without stable housing are less capable or less deserving of meaningful work, which only deepens the cycle of poverty and exclusion. Many hiring processes are built around assumptions like having reliable access to email, a working phone, or a quiet space for interviews; this does not reflect the daily realities of people navigating houselessness.

Oregon’s Ban the Box law does not protect houseless individuals from discrimination based on appearance or other biases related to their housing status. This legal gap allows employers to continue judging candidates on superficial criteria like attire or grooming, unfairly excluding those who lack access to “professional” resources. Portland’s local ordinances further restrict some background inquiries, but the law still does not address these deeper biases rooted in professionalism norms. For readers who want to be part of the solution, organizations like Central City Concern in Portland are leading the way in connecting unhoused individuals with job training, recovery services, and housing. Supporting their work is a concrete step toward equity and opportunity.

Click here  https://centralcityconcern.org/ 

Source: The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards