Key Takeaways
Speakers include the CEO of Verizon, Hans Vestberg, and the Governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt
One particularly insightful and powerful panel included alumni of Justice through Code, Makeda Davis, and Maria Martinez speaking about their experience reentering the workforce after a period of incarceration
Envoy’s Matt Joyce joined a panel centered on the implementation of Fair Chance initiatives alongside experts from the legal and HR communities
To kick off Second Chance month, the Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC) took part in hosting The Business Case for Second Chance Employment: Charting a Path Forward with Business Schools and Corporations. SCBC is a cross-sector coalition of large, private-sector firms committed to expanding companies' second-chance hiring and advancement practices. The event brought together business leaders, second-chance experts, and justice-impacted individuals to discuss the benefits of second-chance hiring, what leaders in business, academia, and government can do to support these efforts, the importance of removing biases during hiring processes, and how to invest in employee retention.
Envoy’s Matt Joyce was featured on a panel entitled Internal Mobility and Support Systems alongside Kerry Casey of Paypal, Patrick O. Peters of Jackson Lewis P.C., and Stan Ball of the Eaton Corporation to discuss strategies and best practices to support the immediate success and long-term growth of second chance efforts at a company. Panelists discussed the importance of building a culture of internal mobility and ensuring that proper support mechanisms, such as business resource groups, mentorship opportunities, and connections to community services, are developed to lift individuals up and provide opportunities for advancement. Stanley Ball, Vice President and Chief Litigation Counsel at Eaton described three important ingredients for second-chance hiring:
“The first is, the corporation has to make a decision that they want to prioritize recruiting and hiring in this space. The second thing is to really look at their internal policies. What is written down? What do we do? How do we do this work? And then lastly, is the implementation of an actual strategy in a specific geographic region to create a sustainable pipeline.”
The panel ended by touching on both internal and external resources that organizations can use to better support employees hired through second-chance efforts and what measures employers can implement to overcome common challenges.
The event, which was the second in a series of workforce discussions hosted by Business Roundtable in 2023, brought together a diverse group of experts and leaders from business, government, academia, and the justice-involved community to provide attendees with useful strategies and learnings from years of implementing and growing second chance hiring efforts.
To watch the event, please click here.