What is fair-chance hiring, and can it help an employer fill more open positions?

If a company is struggling to fill open positions with the right candidates, or the company wants to improve company diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts, one way to make strides is to implement a “fair-chance hiring” initiative.

Fair-chance hiring means all job candidates, regardless of criminal background, have the opportunity to be assessed fairly for a particular job. In some states and cities, there are requirements relating to when the employer can ask for criminal record information in the hiring process.

A job candidate’s criminal record is examined only after the person has been interviewed and is deemed to be qualified for the job.

To start a fair-chance hiring program:

• Make sure the leadership team, Human Resources (HR), and the legal department (if the company has one) are on the same page about the idea and how the program will be implemented;
• Connect with local partners to identify talent and look for community-based organizations that focus on workforce development for reentry;
• Conduct skills-based interviews with candidates and focus on their transferable skills, job potential, and willingness to learn; and
• Assess the records of qualified candidates by considering what they were convicted for, how long it’s been since the offense, and the nature of the job that is being applied for.