Level Up for Fair Chance Hiring: Overcoming Unconscious Bias
As SHRM's Getting Talent Back to Work pledge so accurately states, "job applicants with criminal records are proving to be a viable workplace solution for many organizations" as businesses compete for the best talent. Yet stories on the ground from both the hiring side and the candidate side tell us that we're not where we could be yet. One major factor (though certainly not the only one) is unconscious bias. Join us for real talk, no sugarcoating, about the challenges and opportunities in taking Fair Chance Employment to the next level and real-world strategies to help you make it happen.
Learning Objectives:
- Be able to describe the effects of unconscious bias on hiring practices relating to people with criminal records.
- Hear lessons learned from decades of the “ban-the-box” policy and practice to apply to your own unique workplaces.
- Gain tips and tools for advancing honest discussions about unconscious bias related to criminal records in your workplace.
Elizabeth Speck, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Speck is the Founder and Principal of MindOpen Learning Strategies, a training, consulting, and coaching firm that helps people and organizations learn new ways to work in order to achieve social justice goals. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University and an M.A. in Drama Therapy from New York University. She uses her unique background to create transformative adult learning experiences that lead to measurable business results and social impact. Prior to founding MindOpen, Elizabeth most recently led large-scale organizational and systemic change efforts as Chief Learning Officer for the Workforce Professionals Training Institute in New York City, and Senior Training Director for Safe Horizon, the nation's largest victim assistance organization. Elizabeth's doctoral research studied the workforce entry and career advancement experiences of formerly incarcerated professionals.
Tarik Greene
Tarik Greene is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of M.A.D.E. Transitional Services where he oversees development of transitional services programs and strategic initiatives and partnerships. Tarik worked as the Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) and Assistant Disability Program Navigator at Rockland County’s One Stop Resource and Employment agency.
Tarik’s extensive experience includes working with people who self-disclose diagnosis related to disabilities, and/or with people who are eligible for re-entry services. His responsibilities have included conducting intake and assessments of potential clients, assisting with the development of re-employment training plans, providing quality employment referrals and successfully placing people in employment programs.
Tarik is passionate about creating an interactive and enjoyable business environment, which supports meeting the needs of business partners, colleagues, and clients while ensuring that clients are held accountable for personal self-improvement and professional self-development. Tarik successfully engineered and implemented the Ready, Set, Work! A program
at Rockland County’s One Stop agency and the Rockland County Correctional Center. He was also Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Liaison in Rockland County, to the Work for Success Statewide Program.in 2015
Under his leadership, Tarik has undertaken several initiatives, including:
Created and implemented Rockland County’s first Second Chance Job Fair focused on hiring formerly incarcerated individuals
Training Department of Labor & Workforce One staff to certify as offender employment specialists
Creating viable community partnerships with agencies such as ACCES-VR, Division of Criminal Justice Services, National Institute of Corrections, Office of the Mayor in Nyack NY, STAQ College, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.
Serving as a contributing member of the Rockland Employment Network
Serving as a board member of the Rockland County Executives ATI Advisory Board
Serving as a critical member of the Rockland County Judicial Committee for Youth, designed to provide first-time youth offenders with alternatives to incarceration.