Koch Industries Joins Coalition to Advance Second Chance Employment

Nearly 70 million Americans – about 1 in 3 adults – have a criminal record. The restrictions that come with a conviction not only make it hard for employers to identify and hire qualified individuals but also leave otherwise qualified candidates on the sidelines of the economy. Research shows that having a record can reduce the chances of getting a second interview by 50%.

That’s why Koch Industries is continuing its commitment to removing barriers to opportunity, partnering with other major employers to form the Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC), which will provide major employers with a set of tools, relationships and expertise to help them successfully hire and support – through career advancement and greater economic opportunities – people with criminal records by:

• 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.

The SCBC is co-chaired by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman & CEO Jamie Dimon and Eaton Chairman & CEO Craig Arnold. In addition to Koch Industries, other companies that have already 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., 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.

“As one of the founding members of SCBC, Koch understands the power of removing barriers to opportunity and empowering people to improve life for themselves and the communities where they live and work,” said John Buckley, outreach strategies manager for Koch Industries. “We are excited to be a part of this effort, to collaborate with like-minded companies, to establish new partnerships, and we encourage other businesses to join us.”

Stand Together, a philanthropic community supported by Koch Industries, is one of five partner organizations leading SCBC, as well as Business Roundtable, the Society for Human Resource Management, Dave’s Killer Bread Foundation, and the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Pivot Program.

Momentum for second chance hiring is growing. The 2021 Getting Talent Back to Work report from the Charles Koch Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the SHRM Foundation found that 66% of HR professionals are willing to hire and work with people with criminal records – up from less than half who felt that way in 2018.

Learn more at www.secondchancebusinesscoalition.org