A criminal background shouldn't be a life sentence: How to mentor and upskill employees so they thrive at your business

Employees with a previous criminal record have already served their time in the justice system — but challenges finding work and assimilating to corporate life can feel like fresh punishment. 

Between 70-100 million Americans have some type of criminal record, according to the Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy organization. Once they leave the justice system, the unemployment rate for those with a criminal background is 27%, according to analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative, compared to the national unemployment rate of just 3.5%. 

Read: For people with criminal records, 'ban the box' laws could be the key to a fair hiring process 

The inability to find a job — and keep it — not only puts their own future at risk, but that of their families, their communities and even the economy as a whole, says Tony Lowden, vice president of reintegration and community engagement at ViaPath Technologies, a technology platform that provides upskilling for incarcerated individuals. 

"We have millions of Americans who have felony records, and a lot of them have been on the sidelines, trying to get jobs at livable wages, but aren't able to compete," Lowden says. "Now, because of the Great Resignation and because of the pandemic, these folks are dying to get into the workplace. The retention is unbelievable because they are loyal and they are grateful and they want to be able to support their families. We have jobs that need to be filled." 

Hiring hurdles 
The first step is hiring: while managers and HR leaders say they'll overlook certain criminal backgrounds, just 3-5% actively recruit from this population, according to research from the Society of Human Resource Management. But the type of criminal record matters — while 65% say they would potentially overlook a DUI or similar drug-related crime, just 28% would overlook a violent felony related to assault or domestic violence. 

Read more: Where do your DEI initiatives end? What you need to know about youth incarceration

However, offering potential employees an opportunity to explain their previous record and share how they've changed and grown can help combat this damaging stigma — that once someone has committed a crime, they'll always be a criminal, Lowden says.  

"The hiring managers from HR have to get to the point where they say, 'You know what? The only person that's going to know about this person's criminal background is the hiring manager,' so we do away with that stigma," Lowden says. "In the interview process, ask that person, 'Why should we hire you?' Give that person an opportunity to talk about how they have changed. We have to be a nation of forgiveness and giving people a second chance." 

'Help someone be an employee' 
Providing that second chance means leading with empathy, first and foremost; then, the real work of training, upskilling and mentoring can begin. 

"There are a lot of so called soft-skills that are really crucial for employers, like healthy communication, initiative, time management, and conflict resolution — we incorporate that into our program to help someone be an employee," says Adam Blackman, program director at Refoundry, a nonprofit that provides training and mentorship to previously justice-involved individuals. "Employers can train someone in the hard skills and invest time and energy to do that, as long as that person is good at receiving training." 

Refoundry's mission is to provide individuals who have a criminal background with the skills and mentorship needed to get them on the right track toward being employed and financially secure. Many of their hard-skills training programs focus on helping people work toward entrepreneurship in trades like woodworking and contracting. The program has expanded to include professional skill-building on new technology, resume writing and interview prep. 

People who have spent time in prison are open and willing to receive support, Blackman says, yet are often traumatized from the experience and have learned survival skills that don't translate to a corporate environment. These individuals need the support of mentors who can guide them through a new normal. 

"Incarceration itself is a traumatizing experience. Communicating and being emotionally open and vulnerable is not a valuable thing in prison, and yet outside, that's so important in daily life," Blackman says. "It's not just about giving someone the ability to learn how to use a table saw. Those skills are important, but it's about giving people a community and a connection through work." 

Read more:Mentorship programs may be the solution employers need amid the Great Resignation

Refoundry is among nonprofits and other major organizations that are committed to supporting this population. Walmart, for example, provides mentorship programs for those who went through the justice system and are now employed, and has also supported Ban the Box laws, which make it illegal for employers to ask questions about a person's criminal background before hiring them. 

"Walmart is doing mentoring in those communities that have been impacted by mass incarceration, so it makes sense to help them through the process of learning soft skills and learning the corporate way," Lowden says. "Not everyone can go into corporate America and know what that mentality is."  

Turning to technology 
Today, amid historic labor shortages, these workers can be the solution to talent gaps that employers are desperate to fill. But employers don't have to go it alone when it comes to hiring, training and upskilling this population. In today's world, and even within the prison system, technology is doing much of the heavy lifting, often while these individuals are still serving their time. 

"One of the things that we're doing at ViaPath is going inside the prison and using technology to help them get their certifications. We're using technology to help them find career pathways and learning for when they get ready to come out," Lowden says. "We're also using technology to connect companies that are looking for individuals with those skill sets that they're learning inside the prisons and put them to work." 

Refoundry also offers mentorship and training so formerly incarcerated individuals can learn to use the technology that's become so vital in the workforce. 

"There are so many things that we take for granted, but there are people who've been in for 30 years and then come out, like, 'What's a smartphone?' There aren't computers in prison. There isn't time to do an internet search or even read the news," Blackman says. "There are so many aspects to acclimating and reacclimating and reintegrating into society and that takes time. It takes a community and support on a number of fronts." 

Read more: Are your recruiting efforts losing steam? Here's how to revamp

Employers need to work in tandem with organizations like ViaPath and Refoundry, while also establishing relationships with parole officers and reentry organizations that help place potential employees into organizations that can help them thrive. Bringing these workers "out of the shadows," Lowden says, requires acceptance and a radical societal shift that needs to start now. 

"It has to be a culture shift," he says. "We have to do a better job of letting the world know that this population is looking to work. We have to do an even better job of showing that America is a nation of second chances, and also a nation that's willing to hire its second-chance citizens."