webinar 2 employment strategies for ex-offenders

Presented by:Tirza Barnes-Griffith-Mike Fazio - WF180Greg Holley - WPTI

Session IMarch 17, 20152:00pm-3:00pm

Session II March 18, 20152:00pm-3:00pm

http://workforce180.com/


About the Presenters

Greg HolleyWPTI Training Consultant



Review - Part 1:

Understand employer perceptions of

reentrants

Approaches to connect job seekers to employers

Strategies for overcoming employer reluctance and making the right match

Part 2: Utilize a strength-based

approach to coach reentrants

Job search strategies

Prepare reentrants to navigate the employment screening process

;

Know ex-offender rights

What does RAP

stand for ?

Polling Questions

What and when are job seekers required to disclose about their criminal record to an employer?

Polling Questions

Is it illegal to exclude

individuals from the

application process

based on their background?

Polling Questions

Employers are entitled to ask about arrests and convictions?

Polling Questions

What are Certificates

of Relief from Disabilities?

Polling Questions

What are Certificates of Good Conduct?What is the fair credit

reporting act?

Resources

for addressing illegal employer discrimination against applicants with criminal records

Ex-Offender

Around Employment

The hardest part of finding a job is not employer discrimination-but their limited skills, education, or work history…

It’s the internal voice that tells them they will never succeed.

The idea of steady employment can feel like an impossibility…

Engagement around Employment

The first step toward employment is changing the deeply ingrained messages fostered by the criminal justice system….

Convict. Drug Addict. Dropout. Deadbeat Parent. Loser.

Engagement around Employment

Help job seekers see the benefits that come from getting and maintaining steady employment…

relation

ship

sSt

ead

y in

com

e

structure & routine in daily life ability to develop natural strengths, talents & gifts

Minimizing the impact of a criminal record in the job search

4 Factors

Impact the

Job Search

Age Severity of the crime

Amount of time that has passed since

conviction

Evidence of rehabilitation

3 areas of the job search require special attention & strategy…


Resume or application that

will appeal to employers

Answering the “have you ever been convicted

of a crime” question

Sustaining momentum over the time it takes to secure a job

A reentrants key to success in the labor market lies

in understanding and responding to what motivates employers to hire…


Employers hire the candidate they feel will add most to…

The Employment ARC

Ability – does this person know (or demonstrate the capacity to learn) the specific

specific duties of the job?

Reliability – does this person possess a good work ethic? Will he or she show up to

up to work consistently? Can he or she work well with minimal supervision? Is this person honest?

Compatibility – will this person fit in with the “organizational culture”? Will he or she

or she get along with supervisors, co-workers, and customers?



Resume Content: Rules to strengthen the appeal of a resume

• Focus on the Employment ARC

• Fill the page, but don’t overwhelm

• Maintain consistent formatting and professionalism throughout

• Avoid typos and grammatical errors at all costs•

• Use names and numbers wherever possible

• Include experience gained while incarcerated, but downplay the impact of incarceration by using alternative names for jails or prisons.


Common Resume Pitfalls

• No recent or formal paid work history

• Non-traditional work experience such as prison or treatment programs

• Off-the-books / self-employed work

• Multiple short-term jobs or extremely varied work history

• Incomplete education or training

Answering the Conviction Question ???!!!

Applicants often fall into a number of traps when trying to answer the “tell me about your conviction” question in the stressful setting of an interview…

How do

people

typically

answer the

question?

Polling Question


Lie or massage the truth

Say too little: “Yes” (then silence)

Say too much: “Sure, and let me tell you all thedetails about my drug dealing days”

Blame someone else

Insist on innocence


1. Defy Stereotypes

2. Answer Only What the Law Allows and What the Employer Asks

3. Master the Four-Step Response

4. Develop a Conviction Information table

5. Create a Statement of Criminal History

5 Strategies to Answering the Conviction Question…


#1 Defy Stereotypes by looking and acting professionally

You’re a retail store manager. Who do you want helping your customers?




#2 Answer Only What the Law Allows and What the Employer Asks…

Under New York State law, employers can ask only about unsealed criminal convictions (felonies and misdemeanors).

Employers are prohibited from asking about noncriminal convictions such as violations, or arrests that did not lead to a conviction.

Applicants are required to disclose their criminal convictions only when asked specifically on an application or interview, and they should disclose only the information for which the employer asks.


#3 Master the Four-Step Response

1. State the year when the conviction occurred, whether it was a felony or misdemeanor, and add “non-violent” or “non-theft” if possible.

Do not name the actual charge. (For example, a 2003 conviction for felony drug sales would be “Yes, I was convicted of a non-violent, non-theft related felony in 2003.”)

2. Express remorse

3. State that you’ve changed since the conviction

4. Show how you’ve changed since the conviction


Employers may still insist on details about the criminal conviction…

#4 Hand over a written table that provides the relevant information

CRIMINAL CONVICTION INFORMATIONDate State Penal Law No. Charge Current Status

10/30/99 NY PL 160.05 Robbery, 3rd Deg. Issued Certificate of Good Conduct

06/05/97 NY PL 180.40 Sports Bribing Completed Probation

01/25/96 NY PL 220.03 Possession of a Controlled Substance,

1st Deg.

Completed Alternative to

Incarceration Program

07/21/95 NY PL 255.00 Unlawfully Solemnizing a Wedding Completed Probation



How are you supposed to answer the conviction question in the small space available on a typical application? YES NO

Leave the explanation blank or write, “Will explain at interview”

Write only the penal code number of the crime

Write only the last (or least serious) conviction


#5 Create a formal Statement of Conviction History


I was convicted of a non-violent, non-theft felony in 2003. During that time, I reached a low point in my life and became involved in activities I knew were wrong. I made a mistake and paid the price. I deeply regret my mistake for many reasons, butmost of all because it does not reflect who I really am today.

Over the past seven years, I have completely turned myself around and am determined to remain a positive member of society. I have had no contact with the police since my conviction and am not on probation or parole. In 2006, the State of New York awarded me an official Certificate of Relief from Disabilities to show that I have been rehabilitated. I have worked in customer service, food service and warehouse operations since then, including handling up to $1200 a day at McDonalds and supervising three workers at Fresh Direct.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter twice a month, am currently working toward my Associates Degree at Bronx Community College at night, and am enrolled in a program to develop my computer skills — Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and the Internet — and general office service skills like customer service, telephone etiquette, filing, faxing and copying so I can be a better worker once I graduate. I can promise that you will not find anyone willing to work harder than me. Given the chance, I can become a real asset to your company.

I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about my past.

Thank you for your consideration,

Joe B. Seeker

Questions & Answers

TAKE ACTION!

1. What specifically, do you want to improve?

2. How are you going to accomplish your goal?

3. How will you know you are successful? What types of

change(s) do you expect to achieve?

Interested in More Learning ?

www.wpti.orgwww.workforce180.com



webinar 2 employment strategies for ex-offenders

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