Second Chance Hiring In Contractual staffing and its benefits (?)

What is Second chance hiring?

What usually pops into our mind when we heard or see the word “Second chance hiring”?

Profuse ideas might cross our mind about the term, but in the staffing and recruitment industry “It is the practice of hiring individuals with a criminal record to bring inclusion in the company or organisation”.

If we look into the numbers of criminal records against US citizens, the statistics show a shocking number - One-third of US citizens have a criminal record, and if a such large percentage of the country finds difficulty to get a gainful job, then the shortage of labour in the country would be inevitable.

Does it Matter?

A Criminal record does not automatically equal to dangerous in every case or individual. 

It would not be best to assume the worst in everyone who holds a criminal history, or should not consider them for a second chance would seem like discrimination.

A criminal record does not automatically signifies a murder or theft conviction, a few charges can be negligible for not qualifying them to have a second chance 

The stigma around giving a second chance hiring

There are some strong waves in the industry both promoting and discouraging second-chance hiring.

However, for many employers, the stigmas are associated with many doubts like, are we putting our current staff in danger? Are they trustworthy and reliable? Will they affect the brand image of the company? Will other staff be feeling safe around them?

Of course, such sentiments and fear can not be denied, but one should look at the bigger picture of second-chance hiring.

Why organizations are pursuing a Second-Chance Hiring Strategy?

Mainly because of two reasons why organizations are thinking and pursuing a second chance hiring strategy

1. Altruistic Mindset: This mindset is to do something selfless for another human being, this way of hiring is to give humans a second chance irrespective of thinking our prospects of strategy
2. To get a motivated workforce: Rather than having a single charitable mindset, getting a potentially motivated workforce for the organization should be the reason for organizations to consider a second-chance hiring.

The benefit of second-chance hiring

There is a good example set by Yonkers, N.Y.-based Greyston Bakery, the primary supplier of brownies for Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

This bakery is in the limelight of second-chance hiring, giving a perfect example of inclusion in their workplace.

Job candidates at the bakery have an easy application process, all just need to fill out a one-page form that asks for a name, phone number, and e-mail address. 

They are not being asked about their physical abilities or any other sensitive information. Once the form is filled out, it goes onto a pile arranged in chronological order. 

The next time a job opening becomes available, the person at the top of the list gets a call and since there's no background check or reference requirement, many convicted felonies and homeless strugglers get the job.

Second-chance hiring can benefit the society and recruitment industry at large because it could be the solution to finding talented individuals in an extremely competitive job market.

According to a study conducted by Second Chance Business Coalition, 85% of HR and 81% of business leaders stated that individuals with criminal records perform the same as or better than employees without criminal records. Some research also stated that the turnover rate is lower in second-chance employees which saves a lot of additional hiring costs.

Second-chance hire also advances diversity and inclusion initiatives, and if we look into its financial point of view, there are tax incentives for second-chance hiring. 

The federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit gives employers who hire a qualified ex-felon a tax credit of up to 25% of their first year’s wages if the employee works at least 120 hours, and 40% if they work over 400.

And last but most importantly, the overall community benefits when individuals are given employment.

Ways to do second-chance hiring

It shouldn't be done to be charitable or altruistic. It should be because your organization is committed to hiring the best person for a job - Genevieve Martin, executive director of Dave's Killer Bread Foundation.

Second-chance hiring is less likely to work if an organization is doing it for the wrong reasons, like for PR or marketing or even for altruistic purposes, some of the best practices an organization can follow are 

1. Proper mentoring to those who need them, and having fully established mentoring programmes are more beneficial for second-chance candidates.
2. Providing support and training through existing employees can be very beneficial for second-chance hires 
3. Educate your existing workforce on why you are hiring people with criminal records and make them feel comfortable around them.

Putting aside the stigma around criminal record holders and with a strong screening and interview process, we can achieve great success in accessing a strong talent pool.