Identification of the Profile of Vulnerable Population to Elaborate Efficient Employment Strategy: Proposition of a Quantitative-creative Approach

Brazilian public managers have been structuring and updating policies to support workers’ employment and income strategies. However, when the vulnerable individual has social, emotional, or technical limitations, success in this operation becomes uncertain. This research aim was to propose a methodology to identify profiles in vulnerable populations, viewing to promote the efficient elaboration of employment and income strategies. The unit of analysis was vulnerable population of waste pickers, in a large city from South Brazil, in the scope of a municipal program named "All of us are Porto Alegre". A literature review allowed the identification of tools from marketing, economy and design adequate to profile analysis. A workshop with social educators responsible for giving support to the individuals. Insights from workshop and the literature allowed the proposition of a methodology including cluster analysis and the creative tool named personas. The methodological approach suggests it is adequate in confirming the differences in profiles. The theoretical contribution lies in the use of quantitative-creativity tools to support policymaking. The practical contribution is to provide consistent information for governmental decision-making at the labor access market.