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| courtesy of Haley Bell Photography |
Of course, that answer is no.
But please listen to the story of three personal friends who are finding out that second chances in society are not so easy to come by.
- Friend 1 actually is as good of a thinker as I know. He thinks brilliantly. Yet he has a non-violent felony on his record. Last week we talked after a job hired him and then immediately rescinded their offer as they processed his background check.
- Friend 2 is younger. We went on job searches on and off for months. He even came to my house and filled out applications online. I was a reference on all of his applications. No one would hire him. Two weeks ago, he called and told me had gotten in legal trouble making money by illegal means. His quote to me was, "C, you know I'd tried to get that money the legal way."
- Friend 3 has been taken every step he knows to rebound after a recent prison stint. He's just trying to take steps forward, but every step now requires an income. And an income requires a job. And so far, no one will hire him.
And it's a call for help.
How can you help?
Here are three ways.
1. If you know of an employer that believes in second chances, please help me get in contact with them.
2. Help fix a broken system. The saddest thing is that this problem is systemic. If we don't create a way to help people find tangible ways toward a preferrable future, I'll write this exact same blog a few years from now about some different friends or students.
3. We need career coaches. Maybe you are not in a position to hire. However, in every circumstance I mentioned, my friends could use a mentor in how to succeed in business from successful businessmen. We've all been taught how to work for money. No one ever teaches us how to make money work for us. It would be great to have a businessman meet with these guys and start a business leaders academy and be accountable for helping them be successful.
Redemption stories are my favorite. They remind me of the gospel, in that Jesus Christ came and lived and died in my place, so I could have a chance and entering into a personal relationship with God. The Bible is the world's greatest redemption story. If you are fan of redemption stories, please watch the 3-minute video of Michael Vick above, and then help me get involved in creating some new redemption stories.
I write these blogs as conversation starters. My hope is that you will contribute to the conversation with your thoughts on this topic.
Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five amazing kids, a journalist and a freelance writer. Moody Publishing recently released his first book, You're Grounded, which you can read about here.
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Chris, I know you and your Dad are involved in the church, and from my past experience that is usually a good place to start. By that I don't mean the church should fix the problem, but that there can usually be found some folks who believe in second chances and are willing to help by offering a foot in the door somewhere. Although I have to believe that this would be very frustrating, I would also suggest that these folks show up in person. In a world of instant gratification by email and text, a human being showing up and asking for a job can be a powerful thing. As far as stigmas go, it's a lot harder to say no to someone looking you in the face and asking to work than it is to throw away an application.
ReplyDeleteI know these are not fool-proof, and that many will steer clear of felons altogether, but maybe it's a start. Praying for these folks.
Hey John, thanks for your input. We have done all of the successful job interviewing tips. In one instance, the person already had secured the position. It's a huge problem. Thanks for taking the time to read about it.
ReplyDeleteJust a few thoughts
ReplyDeleteFrom what you shared, I agree that there is a problem. To begin addressing that problem I think perspective helps. Perspective from people who are trying to become productive members of society, yet run into obstacles. Perspective from employers.
I think that the key to flourishing is the gospel, but for now I want to focus on economics, mainly getting hired and keeping that job.
What do employers want in an employee? It will vary from profession, but I think the following are core traits that an employer wants:
1) Ability to perform the job / or willingness to learn how
2) Hardworking (not just when the boss is looking (I need to work on this myself))
3) Trustworthy
4) Someone that will “be the right fit” i.e. get along with boss, coworkers, and customers
Sadly, the state of the economy means that employers can be picky and selective in whom they hire. So how can your friends or others demonstrate that they should be selected?
I won’t go through interview advice, although I think that that can make a difference. (I do wonder if being honest in a tactful way would help establish trust, but I don’t know and suspect that it depends on the circumstances)
Assuming good interview techniques how do you bridge the gap that a past felony conviction carries? Time. But how do you create time for an employer to develop his own opinion? I think you can speed it up with a good reference. Another thought is some sort of trial period. Possibly offer to work the first week/day free unpaid like an internships to get ones foot in the door.
I like the idea of career coaches and wonder if retirees might be an untapped resource who miss the meaning provided by their work and might be able to share wisdom about how to overcome or go around the obstacle of getting hired and maintain employment.
In my mind, employers are reluctant to hire people with past felony convictions because they perceive it as a higher risk. I’ve thrown out a few ideas about how to lower risk, but I am curious how you would improve communication so that employers (particularly Christian ones) can see the perspective of people trying to become productive members of society, and hopefully, help them flourish by giving them another chance.
Just some thoughts off the top of my head, but I would enjoy discussing things in depth with you some time.
Hey Daniel, thanks for the input. I think a lot about former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy. He was a propitiator for Michael Vick. When the NFL (and most of the world for that matter) was against Vick, Dungy came in and vouched for Vick as a changed person, putting his own reputation on the line.
DeleteAt the risk of being too allegorical (which I am always too allegorical), that is a picture of gospel propitiation to me. Jesus Christ is the lone mediator between God and man. The work of Christ makes it possible for the relationship between God and man to be restored.
I would love for a group of businessmen to start a weekly meeting for my friends and teach them:
- how to succeed in the business world
- a gospel-centered theology of work
- how to invest money
- how to make money work for you
- how to build wealth
- how to pass down wealth
- how to not make wealth an idol
This could change generations! And there are men in this community that could do it. These businessmen could then vouch for the people they are mentoring to help them gain re-entry into the work place.
And I would love to grab lunch some time. I always enjoy talking to you. I mean that!