New Season, New Opportunities: Rethinking Hiring This April 

Spring is upon us, the season of renewal, which makes April the perfect month for nationally recognized Second Chance Month. Taking this time to highlight second chance hiring can benefit your community, your company, as well as individual lives.  

Second chance hiring is the process of looking at a company’s hiring process to include people with a criminal record, called justice-impacted workers, who have been excluded from jobs in early screenings.  

“One in four Americans has a criminal record,” said Pooja Tripathi, Senior Director of Workforce Innovation at the MI. “Many in this sizable talent pool are often excluded from the workforce when they could be given a second chance and help manufacturers fill these incredible unfilled roles." 

Manufacturers are uniquely positioned to lead the way on second chance hiring. They offer diverse job opportunities and on-the-job training, providing stable employment and the opportunity for advancement for individuals seeking a fresh start.  

It also can help address a major industry concern. Manufacturing continues to face a skills gap. The industry could have as many as 3.8 million open jobs by 2034, according to a talent study by the Manufacturing Institute (MI). Second chance hiring can be a creative solution for companies who want to continue to be successful.  

Brands like Walmart, Starbucks and Home Depot have hiring practices in place that include people with criminal records. The Second Chance Business Coalition found that 85% of HR and 81% of business leaders say that individuals with criminal records perform the same as or better than employees without criminal records. 

If you don’t know where to start, resources are available.  

• The Manufacturing Institute has video resources and how-to toolkits available. 

• The Second Chance Business Coalition has more educational information as well as different guides on how to get started.