Fair Chance Corporate Cohort

The Experience

The Fair Chance Corporate Cohort is designed for organizations looking to build inclusive, competitive, and thriving workforces. Delivered through JFF'S Center for Justice & Economic Advancement, the cohort is focused on fair chance hiring, which expands employment opportunities for people with criminal records.

Our cohort model guides a group of companies through a twelve-week virtual program. The first eight weeks are dedicated to self-study and live cohort sessions. The final four weeks are dedicated to coaching the cohort through their first implementation steps. Participants will assess their company’s current employment practices, explore their own assumptions and biases around hiring people with records, and create a customized implementation plan for their organization.  

The group will gather virtually for the duration of the program. Attendees will be learning from experts from multiple fields, including employment law, insurance, and human resources, as well as those with lived experience. 

“The Second Chance Cohort fundamentally changed the way I think about second chance hiring. I started with the belief that this was a good thing for Demandbase to participate in, as a social and cultural initiative. After completing the program, I realize that taking advantage of this candidate pool is, and will continue to be, a competitive advantage for us that will make the business stronger.”

Landon Pearson, Chief People Officer

Fundamentals

Understand the fundamentals of fair chance employment

Build Confidence

Develop confidence in messaging and materials to internally champion fair chance employment

Implementation

Create customized implementation plan using change management methods

1. Fair Chance Employment 101

Identify myths and facts around fair chance employment. Find the value of employment and how it affects our individual livelihoods and community strength.

2. Planning for Change

Find, partner with, and influence change agents in your organization and activate their desire to collaborate with you.

3. Understanding Risk

Demonstrate consistency throughout your recruitment and hiring process. Create a fair candidate experience and compliant assessment matrix.

4. Equity in Action

Human Resources has evolved. Refine your management processes to meet the needs of people with records and examine your understanding of true inclusion.

5. Building Community Partnerships

Community-based organizations (CBOs) drive ground-level change. Identify CBOs in your region, establish relationships with them, and find a recruiting pipeline.

6. The Candidate Experience

Put yourself in the shoes of a job candidate, specifically one who may be reentering the community. What is your application, interview, and onboarding like from their perspective? How could you improve your existing processes to streamline their experience?

7. Internal and External Communications

Learn to speak the fair chance employment language through public mediums and build your brand of championship. Turn difficult conversations into opportunities.

8. Stepping Into FCE

Graduation day. Tell us about your path and vision to becoming a full-fledged practitioner of fair chance employment.

Center for Justice & Economic advancement