Second chance hiring can provide your company with a number of benefits. You are giving someone with a criminal background a second chance at a new life, which creates a fiercely loyal employee. It helps decrease your turnover rates, improve engagement, and increase productivity in the workplace. However, before you move forward with second chance hiring, keep these five best practices in mind.
Make Second Chance Hiring Part of Your Core Culture
One of the best things you can do if you want to implement second chance hiring is to make it part of your company culture. When your business makes it a priority to give people with previous criminal records a second chance, it becomes part of your business model. At the same time, you shouldn’t look at second chance hiring as a charitable action.
Instead, continue to focus on finding the best person for the job without ruling out second chance new hires that you may normally overlook. A lot of the time, second chance hires are willing to work harder to create opportunities for themselves because what is available to them is usually limited. Your organization can open doors for these individuals. You will become known as a place for opportunity and growth.
Provide On-The-Job Training and Support
If you are going to be looking for second chance hires, you must provide good training. Many of these individuals haven’t been in the workforce for a while, so they will need to be refreshed on industry best practices.
Also, consider how you can provide support for the additional challenges second chance hires face. Oftentimes, formerly incarcerated people have trouble holding a steady place to live. They may also need assistance with transportation, social services, child support, mental health, and general family crises. Knowing they can rely on their employer to help with some of these things can make a huge difference. Doing this will also make you known as an employer who deeply cares, which draws in top talent and helps you retain them too.
Connect Second Chance Hires With a Mentor
Second chance hires may need additional guidance. Again, they likely haven’t been in the workforce for an extended period of time. Connecting them with someone that will guide them through the first few months and beyond can help them feel better about their future with the organization. It also helps them establish a connection right away, which is helpful to improve engagement and more.
Keep Employee Details Confidential
While it is good to be transparent about your efforts to hire second chance employees, you should still keep each employee’s details confidential. Don’t inform managers or anyone else on the team about the individual’s past. Instead, take the time to educate them about why you are taking this initiative and how it will benefit your company.
Work With a Staffing Agency to Find Second Chance Hires
Working with a staffing agency like Top Notch Personnel is a great way to get in touch with second chance candidates. The recruiters work to find individuals entering the job market. Then we work to find a position where their skills can be utilized. Our team works to get to know the candidate, their values, and their long-term goals before we connect them with you. Learn more about Top Notch Personnel and how we can assist you with your second chance hiring efforts.
