Randstad Argentina connected 170 residents of an underserved Buenos Aires neighborhood with formal jobs
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1. Company at a Glance
This case shows how Randstad Argentina embedded a labor inclusion programme into its recruitment operations through a public-private partnership in Barrio Mugica, Buenos Aires. Since 2018, the initiative has combined community outreach through CeDEL, Randstad-led employability training and recruitment, and access to client vacancies; by 2025, Randstad reported 170 hires.
Talent and human resources services
Industry
1960
Founded
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Headquarters
More than 550 in Argentina
Number of Employees
Randstad operates in 39 markets globally
Global Presence
2. The Challenge
Connecting overlooked talent with formal employment
Barrio Mugica is a formerly informal settlement in central Buenos Aires that has been undergoing a government-led social, urban and economic integration process since 2015 and is now established as an integrated neighborhood. At the start of this process, 76% of residents faced job insecurity, 68% of adults had not completed secondary education and more than 900 businesses operated informally. Residents also faced barriers when seeking formal employment, including discrimination linked to their place of residence.
For Randstad, these conditions meant that potential candidates were largely outside the recruitment channels used by employers, despite companies’ need for workers. The Buenos Aires City Government had already begun addressing this gap through CeDEL, a public employment and entrepreneurship center inside the neighborhood that provided training, job orientation and access to formal employment opportunities. Randstad identified an opportunity to use CeDEL’s connection with residents together with its own recruitment expertise and relationships with employers to connect this pool of largely overlooked talent with formal job opportunities.
3. The Action
Building an inclusive recruitment pathway
ESTABLISHING A NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED PUBLIC-PRIVATE RECRUITMENT MODEL
In August 2018, Randstad began collaborating with CeDEL in Barrio Mugica. CeDEL invited residents to participate, while Randstad provided employability training and recruitment support through its nearest office, together with access to client job opportunities. In 2019, Randstad formalized the collaboration through a public commitment with the City Government on labor inclusion.
The initiative also required coordination across different Randstad teams. In addition to recruitment specialists, the sustainability, legal, marketing and commercial teams were involved in supporting the programme. The participation of the commercial team was particularly relevant given its role in maintaining relationships with client companies and identifying potential employment opportunities for participants.
The initiative was championed by Randstad Argentina’s CEO, helping it evolve from a project supported mainly by sustainability and a nearby office into a model integrated across regular operations.
PREPARING AND ASSESSING RESIDENTS FOR RECRUITMENT
CeDEL invited residents of Barrio Mugica to participate in the initiative, while Randstad carried out the employability training and recruitment process through its own offices. Recruitment specialists used individual and group interviews to understand participants’ interests, experience and potential before presenting suitable profiles to employers.
The company also provided practical employability training, including the My First Job programme, CV preparation, job-search guidance and interview preparation. In the first years, Randstad delivered eight workshops for Barrio Mugica residents, some of them tailored to specific job profiles, such as replenishment staff. More than 90 Randstad employees participated as volunteers, delivering these workshops and sharing their recruitment expertise directly with participants.
As the initiative developed, Randstad increased both the frequency of the activities and their connection with its regular recruitment operations.
From 2022, training sessions were held monthly, while more recruitment offices became progressively involved in identifying and managing employment opportunities for Barrio Mugica residents. By 2024, five Randstad offices were participating in training and recruitment activities linked to the programme. This expansion reflected both employee interest in participating and the programme’s practical value as an additional source of talent for client vacancies, particularly temporary and operational roles.
SCALING AND REPLICATING THE APPROACH
In 2024, Randstad began applying the model in Barrio Fraga. Twenty-five residents participated in the first employability workshop, followed by individual interviews, and were subsequently added to Randstad’s candidate database.
The Barrio Mugica model also became an internal reference for other Randstad operations, with a strong local partner identified as an important condition for replication.
4. Overcoming Barriers
Building trust without creating unrealistic employment expectations
At the outset, Randstad was concerned that engaging directly with Barrio Mugica residents could raise expectations of employment that the company might not be able to fulfil. Over time, the team recognized that its contribution did not depend solely on placing participants in jobs. Maintaining regular engagement with residents through CeDEL and offering practical employability workshops was itself valuable, helping residents strengthen their job-search skills and better understand recruitment processes.
Measuring inclusion without stigmatizing candidates
Randstad decided not to use specific labels to track candidates from Barrio Mugica or other vulnerable groups in its recruitment systems. The aim was to avoid stigma and ensure candidates were assessed on their professional skills within the same recruitment processes as other applicants.
5. Impacts & Results
170+ people hired through the Barrio Mugica programme.
700+ residents reached through employability and recruitment activities.
650+ interviews conducted with potential candidates.
39 employability workshops delivered, representing 74 hours of training.
90+ Randstad employees involved as volunteers and mentors.
Expanded Randstad’s talent pool and supported more efficient recruitment
By incorporating Barrio Mugica residents into its regular recruitment processes, Randstad broadened its candidate base and, in many cases, reduced the time needed to fill client vacancies.
Embedded the initiative into regular operations and corporate culture
The programme expanded from one nearby office to five and continued through changes in local government, supported by cross-functional engagement and a strong partnership with CeDEL.
Buenos Aires City Government Employment Recognition received for three consecutive years for Randstad’s work in Barrio Mugica.
6. Key Lessons Learned
Use a trusted local partner to connect with the community
CeDEL’s role in mobilizing residents created a direct bridge between the neighborhood and Randstad’s recruitment specialists, while allowing Randstad to deliver training and recruitment through its regular operations.
Connect sustainability and commercial teams
Randstad involved its sustainability function together with the teams responsible for recruitment and client relationships, allowing participants to enter actual recruitment processes.
Link employability training to recruitment opportunities
Workshops, interview preparation and candidate assessment were connected with Randstad’s recruitment pipeline and client vacancies, giving participants a route from preparation to selection.
"Labor intermediation is necessary to level the playing field so residents can have equal access to decent, formal and registered employment.”
Andrea Ávila CEO, Randstad Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay
7. Company Commitment
Randstad has been a committed participant in several UN Global Compact initiatives since 2006:
Served on the Board of the UN Global Compact Network Argentina, including as Chair
Signatory of the Women Empowerment
Signatory of Caring for Climate Principals
8. Recommended Resources
Recommended UN Global Compact Resources
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Disclaimer: This case example is intended strictly for learning purposes and does not constitute an endorsement of the individual companies by the UN Global Compact.