How to Make Fair Chance Hiring a Part of Your Employer Brand
Job seekers want to work for socially responsible, socially impactful companies. A 2020 survey by PR consultancy Porter Novelli found 93% of workers believe companies should lead with purpose, and 88% believe it’s no longer acceptable for companies to just make money, they must positively impact society as well.
One of the most untapped ways for employers to affect real social change is by recruiting, hiring, and retaining people with criminal records.
Between 70 and 100 million people in the United States have a criminal record, and a toxic confluence of laws, outright discrimination, and company policies make it nearly impossible for people in this demographic to get jobs. No job means no resources means no housing means increased recidivism. Employers who practice fair chance hiring deliver a one-two punch to this sucking cycle: It’s good for society, it’s good for business.
Why fair chance hiring is good for your employer brand
Before I make the employer branding case for fair chance hiring, let me be clear: It's the right thing to do. Plain and simple. Everyone deserves to be able to provide for themselves and their families, regardless of their past.
It doesn’t hurt to have the business case in your back pocket. The C-suite may need to hear it before they change the way they hire employees, after all. If you need help making the business case, employer branding is a good place to start.
It’s anti-racist: People of color are disproportionately targeted, criminalized, and penalized by the justice system, which means people of color disproportionately carry the burden of criminal records. Fair hiring practices can break this cycle.
It expands talent pools and can solve the current talent shortage: There are about 10 million open jobs in the U.S. right now, and employers say they’re struggling to fill them. There are more than 70 million people in the U.S. with criminal records. Problem. Solution.
It firmly aligns a company with social justice initiatives: Steady employment and fair pay help break the cycle of poverty and inequality in an overpoliced and overcriminalized country.
It’s the right thing to do: This should also be a part of your business case, by the way.
How to Make Fair Chance Hiring Part of Your Employer Brand
Choose a Training Course
Sign up for an employer training course. You can find courses through organizations like DKB Foundation and Defy Ventures that can help you get started with fair chance hiring.
Give Updates on Your Progress
Now start talking about it publicly. Not only does this reinforce your commitment to social justice, it lets people with records know that you’re open to hiring them—which is the point.
If you’re new to fair chance hiring, tell customers and candidates this is something you’re committed to and working on. If you’re a fair chance veteran, provide periodic updates on your progress.
Power management company Eaton reports on the effects of its fair chance programs in its annual DEI report. Electric vehicle company Proterra published a blog post reaffirming its commitment to fair chance employment when it signed the LA County Fair Chance Pledge.
Make it Central to Your Company’s Identity
Dave’s Killer Bread, one of the most vocal fair chance employers, has baked their hiring practices right into their company identity. You can’t browse their site or their social channels without seeing it advertised. They even dedicate a page to second chance employment, which features employee profiles and video reels about the practice. It calls this program “the purpose behind every loaf.”
Get Involved with Legal Policy
Not only does JPMorgan Chase practice fair chance hiring in its own ranks—where it’s permitted by law—it also works to remove legal barriers to employment through its Policy Center.
The company’s CEO Jamie Dimon authored a New York Times op-ed, pushing for corporate America to adopt fair chance hiring policies and rallying other companies to join the effort.
Recruit Other Companies to Join the Cause
Dave’s created Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, which helps recruit and train other employers to create fair employment opportunities, and JPMorgan Chase cofounded the Second Chance Business Coalition to promote fair hiring practices and provide resources to businesses that want to get involved.
If you don’t have the resources to build programs like these, create an alliance with a few of your business partners or join a coalition like these.
Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza writes about workplace culture, DEI, and hiring. Her work has appeared in Fast Company, From Day One, and InHerSight, among others.
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