Breaking the ex-offender stereotype

By Cameron Robinson, Client Solutions Manager

When 3 out of 4 people are comfortable buying from a business that employs ex-offenders, and that 92% of inclusive employers have reported hiring ex-offenders have improved their business reputation, the unfortunate reality is that only 17% of ex-offenders get a job within a year of release.

Why would it be in everyone’s interest to employ ex-offenders?
Firstly, there’s a huge pool of talented and motivated people that organisations are missing out on. Not only could ex-offenders have been exposed to training and upskilling opportunities whilst serving their sentence, they could also bring immense determination and commitment to the work and opportunity they’ve been afforded.

Secondly, creating opportunities for ex-offenders to find meaningful work will also help integrate them back into the fabric of our society, making them far less likely to re-offend. If you lived next door to someone with criminal convictions, wouldn’t you want them to be supported within an environment that provides routine, a steady income and discipline?

And lastly, it goes without saying that everyone should have the right to find and do a job that they love.

Turning your life around needs to start somewhere.
Earlier in November when our Managing Director, Karina Townley (she's the lady pictured above with Offploy's founder, Jacob Hill), spoke at the TALiNT Partners Benchmark Summit 2019, we also invited Derek Gates to share his inspiring journey. Being an ex-offender who sold and took class A drugs, he’s since found a meaningful job working at Offploy (a social enterprise committed to helping ex-prisoners secure a second chance at employment), which has helped him see a greater purpose in life.

Derek says “I have met my goals and got my life back on track – namely I am now seeing my family again and I have also got my own flat.” Derek’s tale is a real testament to the fact that ex-offenders should always be considered at receiving a second chance at starting fresh.

At Guidant Global, we’ve banned the box.
Most businesses commonly ask candidates at the very first stage of the job application process to declare any unspent criminal convictions. But at Guidant Global, we don’t. We adopt a different approach – one where we get to know the candidate first before asking the question.

It’s a small but significant change that gives all candidates with unspent criminal convictions a fair and fighting chance to make the first impression they deserve. You can learn more about the Ban the Box campaign here.

Speak to the right employers.
Connect with organisations like Offploy, who truly understand their importance in providing relevant and specialist support. They can refer you to employers who are leading the way in creating genuine and fulfilling work opportunities for people with criminal convictions.

The other piece of advice would be to research organisations who have made the Ban the Box pledge (such as us!), to signify their commitment to providing equal opportunities for talented and motivated people to find a job they love.

And speaking of us, why not connect with Guidant Global? We’re always on a never-ending journey to connect great people to meaningful jobs. We work with dozens of clients who could have suitable roles and our careers site is a great place to hear about these.

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About TALiNT Partners Benchmarking Programme
The TALiNT Benchmark Programme is the UK’s most rigorous and extensive talent acquisition benchmarking assessment. Your business’s talent acquisition activities are compared across your main market competitors based on 12 key markets.

Guidant Global’s work with Offploy
Our support and work contributes towards Offploy’s mission: to support people with criminal convictions into meaningful, mentored and sustainable employment. This helps the UK fill its chronic skills shortage, reduces re-offending and makes society safer.

​We’re committed to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace, where diversity leads to more innovative ways of working. Join a family from all walks of life today >