The Demand Gap: When Employers Say Yes But Don’t Hire

​Hosted by Jobtech Alliance, Na'amal and part of the Jobtech for Refugees Committee of Practice, as part 2 of the first-ever Jobtech for Refugees Summit.

Employers often express interest in working with refugees and displaced people. Corporate commitments are made, pilot programmes launched, the language of inclusion well-rehearsed. Yet stated commitment often doesn't translate into hiring, contracting, or meaningful career pathways.

​The gap between what companies say they value and what their decisions reveal in practice is one of the least examined dynamics in refugee employment. When hiring decisions are actually made, a different set of considerations takes over — concerns around skills verification, compliance burden, documentation, payment infrastructure, onboarding complexity, reliability perceptions, and client expectations. Some of these are real operational constraints. Others are shaped by unfamiliarity, risk aversion, or institutional politics.

​This session shifts from asking "how do we prepare refugees better?" to asking "what would make employers actually commit?" It's about demand, risk, trust, and the structures needed to convert employer interest into real, recurring opportunities. Rather than focusing on success stories, the conversation will explore the behind-the-scenes concerns that shape employer decisions — and what would need to change for companies to commit more meaningfully.

​This will be a frank, practice-grounded conversation with employers, intermediaries, platforms, and funders working at the intersection of technology and refugee employment.

Interested in our work with refugees? Read our latest study here.