Nyra Jordan: 4 steps to hiring fairly -- and supporting criminal justice reform | TED

TL;DR

This content discusses the importance of prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion by considering individuals involved in the criminal justice system in corporate hiring practices.

Transcript

Transcriber: Over the last few years, corporations have made a major push to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of their organizations. But DEI is left incomplete if you don't consider individuals that have been involved in the criminal justice system. Involvement in the criminal justice system can impact someone's life, som... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤝 Corporations need to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, including individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Ignoring this topic is a massive blind spot that affects someone's life, work status, experience, and mental health.
• 👥 Nearly 75% of justice-involved individuals are unemployed a year after release due to misconceptions and stigmas. Employment is crucial in preventing reoffending and can be a matter of life or death.
• 🔑 Removing questions about criminal history on job applications and considering qualified candidates with criminal histories can improve hiring practices and promote equity.
• 🎓 Companies can partner with programs in prisons that offer advanced professional training, like coding, to include justice-involved individuals in their talent pipelines.
• 💼 Fair-chance hiring does not sacrifice quality. Research shows that fair-chance talent is often equal or higher in quality compared to candidates without records.
• 🌟 Internal culture needs to change by providing training and using human-centered language that reflects the full identity of justice-involved individuals and acknowledges their future, not just their past.
• 💼 Including the experiences and stories of leaders and employees impacted by the criminal justice system can help shift the culture towards possibility and reconciliation.
• 📝 Steps to implement fair-chance hiring include focusing on qualifications, providing a path for career growth and promotion, helping employees adjust to corporate culture, and incorporating human-centered language and anti-bias training in DEI strategies.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is involvement in the criminal justice system an important aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations?

Involvement in the criminal justice system can significantly impact a person's life, work status, experience at work, and mental health. It is a factor that deserves consideration alongside other aspects of diversity, such as race, age, gender, and sexuality.

Q: Why is the topic of justice-involved individuals often overlooked or ignored in corporations?

The topic of justice-involved individuals is often overlooked in corporations due to a lack of open conversation about it and insufficient awareness and understanding of the realities of the criminal justice system. The focus tends to be on the worst cases, leading to misconceptions and stereotypes, which contribute to the high unemployment rate among justice-involved individuals.

Q: How can corporations contribute to addressing the challenges faced by justice-involved individuals?

Corporations can take several actions to support justice-involved individuals. They can start by removing questions about criminal history from job applications and publicly indicating their willingness to consider qualified candidates with criminal records. Additionally, corporations can establish intentional partnerships with programs that provide professional training to justice-involved individuals, thus including them in the talent pipeline.

Q: Is fair-chance hiring about lowering hiring standards?

No, fair-chance hiring is not about reducing hiring standards. Research by the Society for Human Resource Management indicates that the quality of fair-chance talent is equal to or higher than employees without records. Assuming that someone with a criminal record is unqualified is an incorrect assumption. In fact, justice-involved individuals can be highly dedicated, motivated, and hardworking because employment presents an opportunity to redirect their lives positively.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Corporations are prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, but often overlook individuals involved in the criminal justice system, which can negatively impact their lives and work experiences.

• Employment is crucial for individuals in the criminal justice system to prevent recidivism, but many companies refuse to hire them, leading to high unemployment rates.

• Implementing fair-chance hiring practices, providing career growth opportunities, and creating an inclusive corporate culture can benefit justice-involved individuals, their families, communities, and organizations.