Click here to here to see the full video from the University of Louisville
Key Takeaways:
Expert labor economists predict that the U.S. will need to maximize its workforce to maintain growth -- this means opening up opportunities to people with barriers to employment such as people with past convictions
Companies that have been proactive about recruiting candidates with past convictions have been successful in expanding high quality talent pools
Employers like Rue Gilt have partnered with Levelset and CEO and ensure their policies match their company values of inclusivity and opportunity
This April, the University of Louisville convened a panel of leaders in Fair Chance hiring to speak at a session on The Business & Ethical Case for Second Chance Hiring. The panel included speakers such as Fifth Third Bank's Chief Investment Strategist, Jeff Korzenik and Slack programmer Sumat Lal, who participated in the Last Mile training program while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison in California.
Levelset's Alex Love was invited to lay out the implementation strategy for how companies can update policies and practices to become fair chance employers (20:21). She gave the audience a roadmap that included assessment, HR policy revision, proactive recruitment with community partners, internal coaching, and measurement, helping make tangible the strong case that the panel made for inclusive hiring.
Levelset collaborator Robin Berry from Rue Gilt Groupe then shared how her Louisville logistics center adopted a Fair Chance model, and partnered with Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) to develop a transitional work program at Rue. Formerly incarcerated CEO participants work alongside Rue employees every day, gaining experience and training in the industry, while employed by CEO and gaining coaching and support from a job coach. Rue can then directly hire participants with the interest and aptitude to join their team full time.
The panel provided a combination of clear rationale for why companies should consider Fair Chance hiring with practical steps to begin the process.
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