Hiring with Conviction

Over a quarter of working age adults in the UK have a criminal conviction. This is a part of the population often overlooked by employers, who thereby ignore the opportunity to draw on a large and diverse talent pool and demonstrate that their business puts its stated values into practice.

But what are the practicalities of hiring people with convictions – for the firm, the manager, existing staff and the individual themselves?

What are the benefits and challenges?

What support and information is available? And are regulated or professional sectors different?

WCIB members attended an event on the 21st October 2024 to hear from speakers who talked from direct experience and from a range of different perspectives, including:

Natasha Finlayson, CEO of Working Chance, the UK’s only employment charity solely for women with convictions. Its expert employment advisers work with firms of all sizes to help them find the right match for their organisation, providing support throughout the hiring process and subsequently; and

Nicholas Fox, Partner at KPMG in the UK which is continuing to pilot its initiative providing permanent and professional job opportunities to prison leavers. This forms part of the firm’s longstanding focus on giving everyone, regardless of their background, the chance to succeed.

This is a topic that matters to all of us, as businesses and as a sector, so if you missed this event you can watch the recording and access the slides from Working Chance here. Please also share with your colleagues within your organisation if you can.

We would like to thank the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment for hosting this event and for helping with the video recording.