Becoming a Felon Friendly Employer

Whether you are a recruiter, manager or simply involved in your Human Resources Department you know all too well how difficult it has become to find new talent. These days it can feel impossible to find staff with the correct experience and skillset to fill your vacant positions. Here at Tributary Staffing we are constantly recruiting and innovating new ways to find candidates in order to keep up with demand. One avenue that has been relatively untapped by many businesses is former felons. There is a huge opportunity within this group. But before you create an opinion, keep reading to learn about what these applicants can bring to your business.

Most companies are trying to minimize risk and protect their businesses. Sometimes throughout this process great opportunities are missed due to corporate policies. If your company has a corporate policy in regard to felons, now may be the time to reconsider.

Please see a list below of attributes former felons can bring to your company.

• They are eager to get back into the workforce, and hungry to find a job as quickly as possible.
• Most felons have received specific training or had hands on experience with certain skills or trades while incarcerated.
• In general, their pay expectations are usually lower than other candidates because they know they have to work their way back into higher paying jobs.
• They are looking for a second chance and an opportunity to improve their life. They learned their lesson and paid their debt to society and just want an opportunity to prove themselves.
• They have fewer options because other employers may not give them a chance. So they are going to put in the time and effort necessary to meet or exceed your expectations.
• The vast majority of ex-cons are very reliable because they are held to a strict schedule and can’t afford to make another mistake.
• Most felons are on probation, which means they are going to work extra hard to make a good impression and work harder than other employees.
• They are dedicated to the company because you took a chance on them, and they want to prove themselves.
• They understand and often like structure, routine, and hard work. They are going to work hard and apply that to the job.
• They also have experience in navigating different life scenarios and can apply that to the work environment.

On top of all the great attributes listed above, there are also numerous ways your business can benefit by employing former felons.

• You may qualify for tax credits once they are hired direct by your company.
• It gives you the ability to tap into a new world of candidates.
• It shows the community you are a felon friendly employer and believe in giving second chances.
• It gives you the opportunity to help the community by employing a person other companies may not consider.
• You get to see this person turn their life around and become more than an “ex-con”.
• It can also help with the massive unemployment rates associated with former felons.

People with a criminal record have a negative connotation around them but in reality, they are just like you and me. They made a mistake but paid the price. To error is human and we all make mistakes, theirs just happened to be larger and have more severe consequences. Although you may not have control over corporate policies, we hope this article can help start a discussion to review your policies regarding ex-cons. If your employment policies don’t allow for the hiring of people with criminal records, maybe your company could consider people with certain offenses to be eligible immediately or they become eligible after a certain period of time. Society has changed quite a bit over the last 50 years and maybe giving someone a second chance will keep it moving in the right direction. Hiring through Tributary Staffing also gives you the ability to evaluate their performance without making a commitment up front.

There are several benefits to hiring former felons through Tributary Staffing:

• You can put our words to the test! Give someone a chance and see how they perform and the value they bring to your organization. If for some reason it doesn’t work out, we will talk to them about other jobs and backfill your position with a different person.
• Since we are the employer of record, most employment related matters will fall to us. This includes workers compensation and unemployment and helps minimize risk.
• We match candidates with Client’s job orders to fill the position quickly and professionally. There are several questions on our Job Order Form that ask about criminal records and background checks. We strictly adhere to your policies so please complete these sections completely.
• Finally, it allows you to review and/or start the conversation about your company policies, while reducing the associated risk.

Becoming a felon friendly employer can help morph your team and company into something new and exciting. It can start conversations about life in general and even boost morale within a company. In this day and age, most people want to see their employer be more inclusive and understanding. They want to see people and companies give someone a second chance. Feel free to reach out to us at 801-366-4336 for additional information. We can answer any questions you have, walk you through the process and even help find the first employee to test the waters.