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Regardless of today’s unemployment rate, organizations are continually looking for employees who have skills and want to work. Organizations might want to consider fair chance employment (also known as second chance hiring) to find qualified candidates.
Having a criminal record, even without a conviction, can be a huge barrier to employment. According to The Sentencing Project, between 70 and 100 million people – or one in three Americans have a criminal record. And of those, only about 10 million have been incarcerated. Here are a few resources to get the conversation started.
Second Chance Business Coalition
This organization promotes the benefits of second chance employment and provides employers with resources to hire and provide career advancement to people with criminal records. Some of the participating companies include American Airlines, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, GM, JPMorgan Chase, Lowe’s, Microsoft, P&G, Target, Union Pacific, and Verizon.
4 Reasons for Organizations to Consider Second Chance Employment
Second chance employment allows people who want to work get a job. Companies get talented employees who are loyal to the company. Customers get excellent products and services because companies have enough staff. And communities can thrive. This is why second chance employment is important and why organizations should spend some time considering it.
Discussing Objections to Fair Chance Hiring
When considering fair chance hiring, you may face objections from hiring managers. “Performance will suffer” or “workplace won’t be safe” could be attempts to derail implementation. It pays to identify and discuss common objections up front. Be prepared for productive conversations.
Manage Bias in Fair Chance Hiring
Research shows that diverse organizations can improve team performance by up to 30% and outperform their competition by 36% in profitability. But that is predicated on making diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging work for everyone.
This program, offered by the SHRM Foundation, was developed for human resources professionals and front-line managers to provide the knowledge and tools to attract, hire, and retain individuals with criminal and conviction records. The program is free and open to all – SHRM membership is not required.
Whether it’s finding enough candidates or finding enough qualified candidates, recruiting is always a challenge for employers. Organizations need to consider new strategies to stay competitive. That involves taking the time to research and develop strategies – like fair chance hiring – to get results.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby at the 34th Street graffiti wall in Gainesville, FL
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