What It Means to Be a Fair Chance Employer

What is a fair chance employer?  To address this question I was joined by Gail Cruikshank, Talent Director from the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation and Jennifer Gast, Job Developer for the Minnesota Department of Corrections.  Cruikshank describes a fair chance employer as one that bases their employment decisions on their applicants' qualifications rather than their criminal record.

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Cruikshank says 1/3 of the U.S. population has a criminal record and those with criminal records make up a large portion of the workforce.  Over 2.2 million individuals are in jail or prison in the United States.  The number of Americans with criminal records is about the same as the number of Americans with a 4-year degree.  Cruikshank says finding stable employment is crucial to ensuring that individuals do not re-offend.

Jennifer Gast indicates those who have served their sentences need to return to the workforce to become contributing members of society.  She explains many incarcerated individuals work and learn skills while in prison.  They are looking for jobs and benefits when they get out.  Gast says employers should consider the nature and seriousness of the offense(s) for which the applicant was convicted.  She says employers should also consider the time that has passed since the applicant committed the crime and the nature of the job sought.

The EEOC recommends that employers give applicants an opportunity to explain their criminal history if the employer is leaning towards rescinding the conditional offer they extended to the applicant based on their criminal history.  Employment or character references and any other information regarding fitness for the particular position can also be important considerations.

Gast says added benefits to being a fair chance employer include the broadening of the talent pool, higher workforce diversity, the improvement of employee retention and engagement, strengthening your company culture and boosted productivity.

If you'd like like to learn about jobs in the St. Cloud area go to stcloudshines.com.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Gail and Jennifer, it is available below.