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How Small Businesses Can Implement Second Chance Hiring Today

| By: Expeal Staff

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Once a business understands why major companies are investing in people with criminal records, the next question is practical - how does a small business do the same?

A job fair on a warm, sunny day in 2015.
A job fair on a warm, sunny day in 2015. Photo credit: Sotiria Athanasiadou via Wikimedia Commons

You don't need a massive HR department to get started. Those who have done this before have already found the answer — you simply need to look at your existing policies. These three tips are the most common among those who have done this in the past.

1. Audit Your Screening Process

The first step is removing the "automatic no." In many applicant tracking systems, a checkbox regarding a criminal record automatically disqualifies a candidate before a human ever sees their resume. Instead of a filter, a record should trigger an "individualized assessment."

Implementation boils down to removing the artificial barriers that prevent qualified candidates from competing for open positions. The goal is to compare skills, not histories. Therefore, a background check flag shouldn't be an automatic disqualification; it should simply be a signal to look closer at the context of the candidate's life and their fit for the role.

2. Rethink the "Employment Gap"

Research shows that hiring managers penalize resume gaps heavily. However, for the formerly incarcerated, a gap doesn't mean a lack of skill; it means a lack of opportunity.

To access this talent pool, you must shift how you view resumes. Instead of viewing a gap as a red flag, view it as a period of paused work history that has no bearing on their future performance. Judge the applicant on the skills they bring to the table today, rather than the time they lost yesterday.

3. Don't Reinvent the Wheel

You don't have to figure this out alone. Organizations like the Second Chance Business Coalition offer toolkits and frameworks used by major corporations.

Reach out, learn from their HR teams, and adapt their proven strategies to fit your specific needs. By studying what other companies are doing, you can bypass the trial-and-error phase and implement a system that works immediately for your particular circumstances.

Everyone Has an Individual Talent

A criminal record does not define a person, just as a single weak quarter does not define a fiscal year. With 1 in 3 Americans possessing a criminal record, applying this logic is a statistical necessity for finding talent.

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