Grant

Hiring ex-cons is a tough topic. It seems situational and depends on the heart of the convict. Personally, I would be open, even intrigued, with hiring an ex-convict who wants to start a new life, maintain the drive to work hard, and constantly improve on breaking previous, destructive habits while building new, productive habits. If someone who recently left prison does not want to work on their faults and remains difficult to work with, it will be incredibly hard to incorporate them into the normal work environment. According to an article by CNBC, “82 percent of executives say their ex-offender hires have been at least as successful as their average hire” (Mullaney). This shows that most ex-offenders display the needed redemptive qualities.

In addition to looking at the attitude and mindset of the employee, the employer should also consider the impact it might have on other employees. To make sure that all the employees are comfortable with working with former criminals, the company should develop a system to slowly involve their ex-con new hires into the workforce and always update their employees on the ex-cons they are hiring. This will not only assure that the other employees are comfortable, but it will also allow the co-workers to be more gracious with the ex-cons.

Most reasonable people will take the second chance if they are offered it, so I support hiring ex-cons with a cautious, planned approach and a careful examination of the heart of the potential employee.

Works Cited

Mullaney, Tim. “Why Companies Are Turning to Ex-Cons to Fill Slots for Workers.” CNBC, CNBC, 18 Sept. 2018, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/18/why-companies-are-turning-to-ex-cons-to-fill-slots-for-workers.html.