Hiring Formerly Incarcerated Workers Requires Asking the Right Questions

HR Dive

Companies that want to embrace second-chance hiring need to practice empathy for the challenging position those who have been incarcerated face, Amy Lopez, former deputy director of the D.C. Department of Corrections and CEO of Past the Edges Consulting, which works to improve education within prison systems, said Monday at the Society for Human Resource Management annual conference in Las Vegas. What may come across as absenteeism or poor performance could actually be tied to an untenable situation at home, such as struggles with transportation, child care or money, Lopez said.

She recommends employers ask the right questions when problems arise about what’s going on in the workplace and at home to show support for workers and offer training on technology and soft skills. Many of those who have been incarcerated don’t have a mastery of modern technology or haven’t worked before or in a very long time, she explained. And, during the hiring process, employers can ask candidates what types of programs they were involved with, if available, while they were incarcerated and what kinds of transferable skills they might have. 

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