Key Takeaways
The Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC) is a cross-sector coalition of large private-sector firms committed to expanding second chance hiring and advancement practices within their companies
29 founding companies have committed to expanding opportunities to employment and greater upward mobility for people with criminal records
Leading industry organizations such as Business Roundtable and SHRM are coordinating and supporting the Coalition to the strengthen and grow
Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC) launched in April 2021 to expand hiring and advancement practices for candidates and employees with past convictions.
The SCBC is co-chaired by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman & CEO Jamie Dimon and Chairman & CEO of Eaton Craig Arnold, and companies that have joined the SCBC include: Accenture, AT&T, Bank of America, Best Buy, Cisco, CVS Health, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Eaton, Gap Inc., General Motors, The Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Koch Industries, Kroger, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Prudential Financial, Inc., Schnitzer Steel Industries, Target, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Union Pacific, Verizon Communications, Visa, Vistra Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walmart.
Quoted in SCBC's recent press release, Dimon stated, “Business has an important role to play in making it easier for people with criminal backgrounds to get back on their feet. At JPMorgan Chase, last year, we hired 2,100 people with criminal backgrounds. Providing a second chance will give people dignity and allow them to provide for their families, and it helps companies like ours expand the number of people we hire to ensure we get the best talent.”
Arnold added: “Far too many Americans are limited in their prospects for employment and upward mobility because they have a criminal record, even though they may be qualified for a job. As business leaders, it is incumbent upon us to remove barriers to employment and advancement by allowing individuals with criminal records to fairly compete for job opportunities.”
According to the release, the Coalition will:
Developing best practices and enabling companies to share approaches and experiences, learn from subject-matter experts and deploy tools to improve second chance recruitment, retention, manager training, performance and satisfaction.
Launching pilot initiatives to test new approaches to second chance hiring and advancement practices. This effort will include partnerships with community service organizations and providers and will use metrics to guide decision-making.
Learn more at www.secondchancebusinesscoalition.org.