In today's competitive job market, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to attract and retain top talent. If you're struggling to fill open positions or looking to increase diversity within your workforce, there's an often-overlooked strategy that could expand your talent pool by 30%: fair chance hiring.
What is Fair Chance Hiring?
Fair chance hiring is the practice of considering candidates with criminal records for employment opportunities. It's not about lowering standards or taking unnecessary risks; rather, it's about tapping into a vast, underutilized talent pool and giving qualified individuals a chance to contribute to your organization.
The Untapped Talent Pool
Did you know that nearly one in three American adults has some type of criminal record? About 70 million potential employees are often overlooked in traditional hiring processes, due to their criminal records, which are in many cases, decades old. By embracing fair chance hiring, you can potentially increase your candidate base by 30% or more.
This hiring strategy is not just about numbers. Individuals with criminal records make great hires. They are highly motivated, skilled, and eager to prove themselves. In addition, national research shows that 85% of HR leaders say that second-chance hires perform the same or better than other employees, and their retention rates are 12% longer.
Implementing Fair Chance Hiring: It's Easier Than You Think
Now, you might be wondering, "How can I implement fair chance hiring without compromising my company's standards or safety?" The answer lies in partnering with specialized services like Rasa Legal.
Rasa Legal offers a unique solution that allows you to:
- Define Acceptable Record Types: There are times when a person’s criminal record is related to their job role, and as an employer, you're not obligated to open up opportunities to people with all types of criminal records. Rasa Legal can help you define which types of offenses align with your company policies and job requirements, and conduct targeted recruitment based on those requirements.
- Access a Targeted Talent Pool: Rasa’s database can identify company-candidate fit by filtering for skills and the types of records that align with your criteria.
- Provide Record Clearance Support: Offering record clearance as part of a job offer or as an employee benefit, can encourage new talent to join your company and improve employee retention.
- Get End-to-End Support: Rasa’s team will help you advertise your job opportunities to our platform users and make it easy for you to adopt and roll out a record clearance program at your company.
Getting Started
Implementing a fair chance hiring program doesn't have to be daunting. Start by partnering with Rasa to:
- Assess your current hiring policies and make needed adjustments
- Review open job roles and define acceptable record types for those roles
- Train your HR team on fair chance hiring practices
- Set up a system for record clearance support
- Develop a supportive onboarding process for all new hires
Remember, fair chance hiring isn't about lowering your standards – it's about widening your perspective and tapping into a wealth of untapped potential.
Conclusion
In a world where talent is at a premium, can you afford to overlook 30% of the potential workforce? Fair chance hiring isn't just a social good; it's a smart business strategy that can give you a competitive edge in talent acquisition and retention. By partnering with services like Rasa, you can implement this strategy safely and effectively, opening your doors to a world of skilled, motivated employees ready to contribute to your company's success.
Are you ready to transform your hiring practices and unlock new potential for your business? The talent you need might be closer than you think.
