CIPD and Nacro launch guide to employing ex-offenders

Nick Elvin

New guidance for recruiting ex-offenders has been published.

Entitled ‘Recruiting safely and fairly: a practical guide to employing ex-offenders’, it has been designed to help businesses understand their legal rights and responsibilities when it comes to dealing with people with histories of offending.

It is also aimed at helping businesses update and implement safer and fair recruitment policies and procedures, and allow them to confidently and effectively manage and mitigate any potential risks when employing ex-offenders.

The guide has been devised by crime reduction charity Nacro and the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, with the support of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Nacro says more than ten million people in the UK have a criminal record, and many face barriers to employment despite putting their past behind them. The organisation hopes the new guidance will help employers tap into a vast talent pool.

Jacob Tas, Nacro’s chief executive, said: “A staggering three out of four employers say they would use the declaration of a caution or conviction to discriminate against an applicant in favour of a candidate with no criminal record.

“This has to change. Employers need to be supported to recruit the best candidate for the job. When that candidate is an individual with a criminal record they should not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying.

“Securing employment is a critical factor to an individual putting their past behind them. The aptitude and commitment required to fully participate in a recruitment process and to secure a job offer, demonstrates a step change in an individual’s thinking and behaviour. This achievement should be commended and not impeded by inappropriate recruitment practice.”

Dianah Worman, CIPD public policy adviser for diversity, added: “Employers report that they increasingly struggle to find people with the right talent, skills and abilities and potential to fill their vacancies.

“Over 20% of the working population have a criminal record, yet many employers tend to be over-cautious about offering work to ex-offenders; some even operate blanket exclusion policies when recruiting, despite the fact that contrary to popular understanding many employers’ experiences of employing people with offending histories are extremely positive.

“The CIPD believes this guidance will help employers understand their legal obligations and hope that they will develop more inclusive policies and processes, so they can gain skilled and valuable employees from this huge diverse talent pool; and contribute to the longer term benefits to society that comes from the reduction in reoffending achieved by employment.”