4 Best Practices for Second-Chance Hiring in Construction

When it comes to second-chance hiring, companies can take a few practical steps to get it right.

From offering inclusive policies to checking their biases at the door, employers can tap into a large talent pool if they follow some tried-and-true best practices, experts say. 

“There are tremendous business benefits in increasing your inclusive hiring practices to include all different types of populations, and that definitely includes justice-impacted folks or people with records,” Ken Oliver, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Checkr.org and executive director of the Checkr Foundation, told HR Dive. 

Look past the background check

exist in many states — at least 37 — but those laws don’t always have teeth to them, according to new research by Robert Kaestner, a research professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Employers need to take the initiative to look beyond the background check, Oliver said. 

“Background checks are a piece of paper that has information on it. And most of the time, we make decisions based on that information that’s on the piece of paper without understanding the human story behind the piece of paper,” Oliver said. 

He recommended that employers take an individualized assessment of every candidate. By interviewing job applicants, hiring managers can glean the circumstances behind the record, Oliver said. 

To read the other tips from our sister publication HR Dive click here.