The second chance employment movement continues to grow. And the reasons are many. A shortage of workers. A growing sense of justice. The willingness to give a fair chance to more of the one-third of Americans who have a criminal record.
Whatever the reason, companies, local and state governments, chambers of commerce and a variety of nonprofits are increasing their efforts to create fair chance hiring initiatives.
One of the latest of these is the Salt Lake Chamber and Utah Community Builders who released their Fair Chance Hiring Guide earlier this year. Although it’s geared to what’s happening in Utah, a chamber of commerce or other organization can use it as inspiration to create a similar publication for their own city, town or state.
Utah suffers labor shortage
The state of Utah has one of the highest labor shortages of any state, according to data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It only has 44 available workers for every 100 open jobs. That means that companies need to search harder to fill their openings. And that’s why the chamber put together this guide to help them explore new ways of finding workers.
“Involvement with the justice system is incredibly common. Approximately one in four Utahns has a criminal background, and many of these individuals are left out of the workforce,” says Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber.
“However, this presents an opportunity. Many of these individuals have the skills and experience, and by embracing fair chance hiring, employers can fill crucial positions with individuals eager to reintegrate into society and build meaningful careers. When we provide individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives through gainful employment, we invest in a brighter future for our region.”
The Salt Lake Chamber guide gives reasons for fair chance hiring
The 19-page guide begins with the why. Why should companies care?
And here’s why, according to the chamber:
- Utah has a workforce shortage and skills gap, the result of rapid economic growth and a low unemployment rate. U.S. News & World Report ranked Utah the 9th fastest growing state in terms of GDP.
- Second chance hiring uncovers untapped talent in a population that has diverse skills and a strong work ethic. A variety of studies, including one done by Johns Hopkins Hospital, have found that second chance hires have a lower turnover rate than those who have not had any justice involvement.
- The practice supports reintegration by those in reentry and helps lower recidivism.
In addition, there can be tax incentives, positive p.r. and a chance for employers to highlight their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Steps to fair chance employment
The guide includes a section on steps companies can take to become second chance employers. These include:
- Taking the time to become familiar with the legal guidelines and resources available related to hiring previously justice-involved employees.
- Making hiring practices more inclusive.
- Establishing partnerships with local organizations that deal with those in reentry.
- Searching for candidates from a variety of sources, including nonprofits, job fairs and career centers.
- Creating programs that offer support to second chance employees.
- Developing fair chance hiring practices, leaving the questions about a criminal record until late in the interview process.
- Being flexible with the work schedules of second chance hires, as they may have to check in with their probation officer on occasion.
- Hiring two or more fair chance employees at the same time, so they can support each other as they enter the workforce.
- Celebrating the success of the fair chance employees you hire.
The guide also includes a section on resources, both in Utah and nationwide, that employers can turn to for more information.
Editor’s note: Over the years there have been several other organizations that have done guides similar to the one created by the Salt Lake Chamber. These include Root and Rebound’s Fair Chance Hiring Toolkit, A Fair Chance: Hiring Guide & Toolkit by Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and other fair chance hiring employer toolkits that are included on the National Employment Law Project’s website.
Creating a second chance employers guide like Salt Lake Chamber’s can help the businesses in your community find dedicated, hard-working employees; improve their diversity, equity and inclusion practices; increase profitability; and ultimately reduce recidivism.
