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SHRM launches initiative on hiring of those with criminal backgrounds

January 28, 2019

The Society for Human Resource Management on Sunday announced an initiative to change hiring practices for those with criminal backgrounds.

Part of the initiative includes a pledge to give opportunities to qualified people with a criminal record deserving of a second chance.

“This is a group we, as business leaders, cannot afford to overlook as one in three adults in the United States currently has a criminal background,” said Johnny Taylor, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. “Not only is it the right thing to do — to give a deserving person a second chance — but it is becoming imperative as businesses continue to experience recruiting difficulty at an alarming rate.”

Organizations that have already signed on to the pledge include the American Staffing Association and the US Chamber of Commerce.

“Now is the time to quash the stigma of incarceration,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and CEO. “Employers need to embrace greater inclusivity when recruiting and hiring and give qualified individuals a second chance at success in life — particularly when the US labor market is the tightest in history.”

Research by SHRM and the Charles Koch Institute found that more than 82% of hiring managers polled in the US believe workers with a criminal history are hires that are equal to or more effective than hires without a criminal history.

SHRM also developed a toolkit for businesses when hiring workers with criminal backgrounds.