It won’t erase the injustices of the U.S. criminal justice system, but it can help stop its reverberations.
September 21, 2020
HBR Staff/Craig Whitehead/Unsplash
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Business leaders who have recently pledged to improve their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts can start by implementing a practice called fair chance hiring. It mandates that employers only assess a candidate’s criminal record after the candidate has been interviewed and is considered qualified for a role. Studies show that employment is the single most important factor in reducing recidivism; that people with criminal records are no more likely to be fired for misconduct than people without records; and that they’re statistically less likely to quit, which saves employers a considerable amount in turnover costs. Employers considering building a fair chance hiring program should: 1) Create an intentional hiring plan and make sure that top leadership, HR, recruiting, and legal are all bought in; 2) Connect with local community partners to identify talent; 3) Conduct skills-based interviews; and 4) Fairly assess the charges brought against the candidate by evaluating the nature of their conviction, the length of time that has passed since the offense, and the nature of the job for which you’re hiring.
