People with Down syndrome want to work for the same reasons as anyone else: earn an income, learn new skills, meet new people, feel valued, contribute to society, and have the chance to be more independent. But people with Down syndrome often face barriers and prejudice, lack of opportunities, low expectations, stereotyping, and other negative attitudes. As a result, for the large majority of people with Down syndrome finding a job is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

By hiring someone with Down syndrome, an employer not only changes the life of the person hired but can also trigger a virtuous circle of opportunities for hundreds of people with the same condition. The more that people with Down Syndrome are seen at work, the more they’ll be recognized as valuable employees, and the more they’ll be hired. It’s the Hiring Chain.

Our main target were employers and companies from all around the world. In order to reach our audience, we partnered with LinkedIn—the employment-oriented social media and point of reference for everything job-related. LinkedIn promoted the campaign on their platform through dedicated posts, articles, and live seminars; helping spread the message where it was most relevant. Also, the fact that we had Sting (an artist well known for his activism) to perform and enrich the song, helped the campaign spread fast and become an immediate worldwide sensation.

On the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day (March 21), we launched HiringChain.org, a platform dedicated to supporting and encouraging organizations to bring people with Down syndrome into the workplace. The platform was promoted by a film based on the original song “The Hiring Chain”, performed by Sting. The film tells the story of Simone, a woman with Down syndrome who works at a bakery. Simone impresses one of the customers, a lawyer, who in turn goes on to hire a young man with the same condition. From there, an inspiring chain reaction of hiring ensues.

The campaign was covered by the most important news outlets in the world (including Fox News, BBC News, Sky News, Rai News, Yahoo News, Vanity Fair, People, Fortune, Glamour). After only two weeks into the campaign, more than 900 employers, from all around the world, applied through HiringChain.org with the intent of hiring someone with Down syndrome. And only 20 days after the launch, a company took the first tangible and promising action: legendary fashion house, Ferragamo, hired a person with Down syndrome.