Pros and cons | What are the benefits of hiring ex-offenders?

Almost all business leaders would agree that Diversity & Inclusion is a big element of their company's growth and success. The importance of D&I has gained a significant amount of traction in recent years.

But the diversity that employers speak of rarely includes those with a past criminal record, and research shows that in recruitment processes, employers are more likely to turn down these types of candidates, even if there aren’t any company policies against hiring those with a conviction, illustrating that prejudice and bias continues to exist within recruitment despite diversity efforts.

A study from the charity Working Chance found that 30% of employers say they would automatically exclude candidates with a former conviction, with only 15% saying this was worked into their company policy, suggesting that discriminatory and exclusionary stigma continues to exist.

Breaking down preconceptions about ex-convicts

Research shows that one in six people in the UK have a criminal conviction, yet ex-convicts continue to be one of the biggest underrepresented groups when it comes to diversity.