Fair-chance hiring: A DEI-friendly solution to talent shortages

Four in five employees are on board with their employer hiring fair-chance talent, and many believe it should be part of their company’s DEI strategy. (Credit: Franzi/Shutterstock.com)

The workplace and employment environments are facing enormous challenges at the moment. COVID has accelerated resignations and peoples’ perceptions of how they want their careers to unfold to such a degree that the so-called Great Resignation has seen people leave and not return to jobs in great numbers.

For HR leaders the challenge can also provide an opportunity, especially in the area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). In a new report Fair Chance Hiring Report from Checkr, U.S. employees (31%) say their company’s hiring process is prejudiced against certain populations and 75% say they feel that people with conviction histories face the most discrimination. However, 4 in 5 employees (80%) are on board with their employer hiring fair-chance talent, and many believe it should be part of their company’s DEI strategy (54%), and 77% of executives say fair chance hiring should be included in annual DEI reporting.