TIPS FOR HIRING THE JUSTICE-INVOLVED Company Culture
Before posting a position, examine the culture of your organization. An employee that trusts their organization is willing to go the extra mile every single day. Think honestly about your organization. Do implicit biases exist? As the hiring manager or decision maker, reflect upon your own feelings about hiring someone with a background. Can you be fair and impartial? Can you be respectful and treat them as you would any other employee? Don’t set these new employees or your company up for failure. When you focus on intentionally developing your company’s culture, you are taking a necessary first step to building a foundation for success when hiring any employee—especially those that have been justice- involved. People-First Policies While policies are an essential component of any organization, there will be times where exceptions should be considered, and it is the responsibility of leadership to work with their team towards a solution. If an employee is continually having the same issue (tardiness, behavioral, etc.), address them one-on-one and try to get to the root cause. Perhaps there is a solution you can help provide that would assist in supporting your employee and give them a successful alternative. Finding the balance between written policies and non-written understanding helps put people first and sets your justice-involved employee up for success. Don’t just ask. Listen. One of the most difficult things to accomplish as a leader is to truly understand your team and their needs. It’s easy to send out a survey that asks for their thoughts, but what are you doing with the results? Language While we never want to downplay the seriousness of an offense, remember that those with backgrounds have served their time and are working hard to get back into a normal life. It’s important to show respect and support their dignity. Avoid using terms such as “criminal” or “offender” and instead opt for “justice-involved,” “re-entry employee” or “background involved.” Ideally, treat these potential employees as you would any other applicant. Interviewing It seems obvious, but it must be stated: NEVER ask someone if they have a criminal history during an interview. A gap of
5
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online