On July 10, 2025, Upwardly Global convened its Employer Working Group — comprising over 100 national corporations — to discuss cutting-edge technology, evolving immigration policies, and innovative hiring pathways, all aimed at helping employers fill talent gaps and explore untapped talent.
AI-Powered ATS Integration Goes Live
A major milestone was announced: Upwardly Global Fetch, an AI-powered integration with HiredScore (a Workday company), is now live and Design Approved by Workday. This custom-built API allows recruiters to seamlessly access Upwardly Global’s candidate database within their existing workflows with no extra steps required.
This integration marks a significant advancement in reducing friction for recruiters seeking to broaden their talent pipelines with inclusive hiring solutions.
Benefits include:
- Custom API integration: Seamlessly pulls qualified candidate profiles from Upwardly Global’s database into existing HiredScore workflows.
- Skills-first matching: AI-driven technology identifies candidates based on skills and qualifications rather than traditional markers.
- Quick candidate identification: Fast identification of well-suited Upwardly Global candidates streamlines the hiring process and widens your talent pool.
- Reduced manual work: Automated candidate recommendations free up recruiters to focus on higher-value activities like candidate evaluation.
Explore Upwardly Global Fetch on Workday’s Partner Marketplace.
Policy Updates: CHNV, U4U, and TPS
The meeting also covered critical updates to humanitarian parole and immigration programs, including: CHNV (Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans), U4U (Uniting for Ukraine), and TPS (Temporary Protected Status).
These updates are essential for employers navigating the complexities of hiring work-authorized immigrant and refugee talent. For up-to-date information, please see:
- Welcome.US — Latest changes to humanitarian parole programs, including private sponsorship programs
- Welcome.US Policy Updates
Best practices: Returnships Are A Win-Win Strategy
Data shows that alternative hiring initiatives such as “returnships” (see Upwardly Global’s report) can be a “win-win” for underrepresented talent and employers alike.
Featured speaker Colleen Olson, Senior Director of Business Development at iRelaunch, provided valuable insights on how iRelaunch successfully helps companies build and implement returnships and connect professionals who have taken career breaks with opportunities within their employer network.
View iRelaunch slides for more details.
Join Us
If you would like to be added to our next Employer Group Meeting, please contact Bijan Yaminafshar at bijany@upwardlyglobal.org.
Upwardly Global’s Employer Working Group
Made up of over 100 corporations, Upwardly Global’s Employer Working Group aims to engage corporate America to better understand the roadblocks in hiring work-authorized international talent and to co-create solutions. Upwardly Global’s unique position working with many employers over the last 25 years gives special insight into trends, pain points, and best practices. This invite-only working group is a platform to engage with peers, share best practices and challenges, and co-create solutions to better integrate immigrant and refugee talent into our workforce. Email us to learn more.