Hiring With Conviction: New guidance for employers to hire people with convictions

A new resource aims to equip employers with everything they need to hire people with convictions ethically, legally and safely and support them into the workforce.

Employment charity Working Chance (which specialises in supporting women with convictions into employment) previously found in research carried out last year that almost half (45 per cent) of employers would hire someone with a conviction, but discrimination was still pervasive. In addition, the charity found there was a significant lack of knowledge of the practicalities of recruiting people with convictions.

In response to this demand, and in a move towards building more diverse and equitable workplaces, Working Chance has published Hiring With Conviction – a comprehensive, accessible, up to date resource which contains everything employers need to get started, mapping the recruitment journey from policies to put in place from the beginning, through to supporting new recruits during their induction periods. The guidance also contains template policies and procedures that employers can put into use straight away.

Hiring With Conviction addresses concerns that employers may have when considering candidates with criminal records and encourages them to focus on an applicant's experience, skills, and potential.

Working Chance Chief Executive Natasha Finlayson said: “Over a quarter of the working population in England and Wales has a criminal record and represent an under-utilised talent pool who need employers to see beyond their past.  Employers told us they wanted really user-friendly, reliable guidance around this, which is why we’ve created this comprehensive guide for hiring managers, HR professionals, and recruiters, setting out why they should be pro-actively hiring people with convictions, and outlining practical strategies to ensure equitable and risk-managed recruitment practices."

Momentum for hiring people with convictions is increasing across many sectors and industries: Sodexo recently announced that it will donate £100,000 of its yearly apprenticeship levy to support the training of people with convictions.

The government is also introducing a range of policy initiatives to encourage more employers to hire people with convictions, with changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, the Public Service Act, and by creating New Futures Network, a specialist part of HMPPS which brokers partnerships between prisons and employers.

CEO of New Futures Network Duncan O’Leary said: “For some organisations it can be daunting to consider hiring people with convictions. Hiring With Conviction will be an invaluable resource for employers who are setting out to create recruitment pathways to hire talented and motivated new recruits.”