Finding Talent with Second-Chance Hiring

Nearly 80 million Americans have a criminal record. And for companies in a tight labor market, finding untapped talent is necessary to fill jobs. Chambers can help bridge that gap between members with second-chance hiring initiatives.

The Business Case: The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation’s Getting Back to Work initiative makes the business case for second-chance hiring.

• Second-chance hires have higher than average loyalty to companies willing to give them a chance.
• This untapped talent works hard to prove value, with less turnover and fewer disciplinary issues.
• Company diversity increases as the U.S. justice system disproportionally impacts more people of color.

Benefits>Risk: SHRM research shows that nearly two-thirds of HR professionals are willing to work with someone with a past criminal conviction. But employers need to consider a few fair chance practices to streamline the process.

• Take things like the hiring process, career pathways and financial policies into consideration to remove existing barriers for second-chance hires.
• Incarcerated people learn transferable skills in a high-pressure, high-stakes environment.
• “People with past convictions generally want to stay and grow with a company,” said Dr. Genevieve Rimer, director of inclusive hiring for the Center for Employment Opportunities. 

The Chamber’s Role:  Chambers can be a resource hub for members that need talent and don’t know where to turn. “We recognize that chambers have a critical role,” said Elizabeth Kohm,  manager of charitable programs for the SHRM Foundation. “We really believe that engagement on the community level drives a paradigm that we see businesses can help shift.”

• The SHRM Foundation has second-chance resources including a certificate program, a self-assessment, a digital toolkit and more.
• Partnerships are vital in all the work chambers do. The Second Chance Business Coalition provides a list of fair-hire companies and local advocates.
• The National Reentry Workforce Collaborative works toward equity in the workforce field in 32 states.

Go Deeper: Stay tuned for new chamber case studies on ACCE’s blog this month. In the meantime, check out these resources:

• Watch the Smart Justice roundtable featuring the SHRM Foundation and Center for Employment Opportunities here.
• See the ACCE Foundation’s hub for smart justice reform, including second-chance hiring examples and clean slate initiatives.
• Learn more about Second Chance Month, observed in April.