By Menno Bart, Head of Policy Advocacy, Adecco Group & Bruce Roch,
Global Head of Inclusion and Diversity, Adecco Group
The latest annual conference of the European network of Public Employment Services was focused on labour market inclusion of people with a distance to the labour market. One of the six thematic priorities of the ILO’s Global Coalition for Social Justice is to address “inequalities, discrimination and exclusion”. And companies around the world are investing in their own initiatives to bring more people into the labour market. These examples show that inspired both by social justice imperatives as well as by sizeable skills and labour shortages, there is an ongoing need to tap into new talent pools. Despite what is happening in the US, it is clear that inclusion is a hot topic – although much still remains to be done.
Unfortunately, it seems that in all these efforts, one group is systematically overlooked: those euphemistically called “justice impacted individuals”. In other words, people who serve or have served a prison sentence and face a return on the labour market. In reality, this may even be considered a “conscious blind spot”. After all, we know it’s there but for many it may be rather uncomfortable to face the issue. Could it be that labour market integration of former criminals does not align well with the idea that “prison is for punishment”?
Be that as it may, as a matter of principle, once the sentence is finalised, we believe people do have a right to reintegrate. As a society, we cannot continue punishing people after the end of their sentence. Helping them (re)enter the labour market is right for three reasons: It is socially just, we know it helps prevent recidivism (and as such it is the most cost-effective intervention for society), and it could help alleviate talent scarcity.
What can we do?
At Adecco, we see ourselves as labour market intermediaries. Our stated purpose is to Make the Future Work for Everyone. We therefore see a role for ourselves to help and promote labour market integration for these people. As our Group CEO Denis Machuel notes, remembering his time supporting an organisation which aimed to connect students with incarcerated individuals through various educational and support activities:
“I have warm memories of my years in the Genepi at the Varces prison, near Valence. (…) We all have a responsibility to ensure a more inclusive society. At the Adecco Group, that includes offering jobs. Accessing employment is the first step towards reintegration.
There is also another pillar, equally essential: sustainable investment in integration. Creating solid and lasting conditions that will enable integration is, once again, our collective responsibility”.
Luckily, there are some good practices that we can build on at Adecco and other companies. Below, we have highlighted a number of examples of how we work with this target group in Spain, France and the UK.
Before delving into the lessons we can learn from those examples, it is important to note that business should not sit on the seat of the judge. It is up to the justice system to determine the appropriate sentence, and to determine whether someone is ready to fully or partially re-enter society. What seems clear though is that opening the prison door for work has a number of benefits and is a key driver of reducing risk of recidivism.
We see this, for example, in France: Upon their release, former inmates face numerous difficulties: isolation, lack of housing, lack of qualifications, etc. Without support, the chances of finding a job and building a life project are very low. According to French NGO Wake-Up Café, studies conducted in Europe show how much access to employment helps prevent recidivism: 70 to 85% of former inmates without training or work return to prison, while this rate varies from 15 to 33% for those who have a job.
We strongly believe that business and the justice chain should get closer to better understand each other and see where there might be potential versus risk.
Challenges to overcome
The road to building meaningful integration programs is not without obstacles.
One challenge we have encountered is that in our view, preparing for reintegration starts already during prison time, but there isn’t always enough attention on the side of the justice system. We believe more attention to reintegration is needed. We call upon those responsible to be open to social innovation. One example of such innovation would be by experimenting with work experience during a person’s sentence, or alternatively, by taking a more skills-based hiring approach.
Once a person is released from prison, they face a chicken-and-egg problem: before they can even begin to think about work, they need to be sure that housing and other framework conditions are at least temporarily ensured as first prerequisites for reintegration. Society should step in to give them that secure basis from where to apply for a job. It is hard to be a reliable and dedicated colleague when you don’t have a place to stay. Public authorities could for example support by making the connection to housing providers, employment agencies like Adecco, mental health support and other relevant players.
Offering housing and other support does highlight another challenge that people may face: public bias and a negative public perception. While this is not easy to change, we should have a public conversation about changing our attitude to people with a criminal past. This conversation should be a multi-stakeholder dialogue involving policy makers, employers, employment services, workers’ representatives and others. A right to re-start is much needed.
The other side of this coin is that there may also be reluctance from the side of the individual that needs to be overcome before any labour market integration is possible. Some people may need to be supported to change their mindset. A life in crime could offer high risk but also offers the possibility of high reward. This is quite a contrast with a life that may at first offer less immediate reward but could instead offer longer term security and career opportunities. Not everybody may immediately see and understand that longer term prospect without the proper guidance. Agencies like Adecco could support this mindset shift by raising awareness, sharing information, and showcasing opportunities.
What kind of support can we offer?
Adecco offers support to millions of jobseekers every year. These include people who may need a little help in being hired. After all, being a great cook or an amazing coder does not automatically mean that you’re good at building an appealing CV or presenting yourself in a job interview. Our recruitment professionals offer their support, but we also have dedicated tools available, such as our AI-powered CV Builder.
At Adecco, within our “inclusion” solutions, we do not have a dedicated approach specifically for justice impacted individuals. First of all, we believe that we want to support all individuals, regardless of their specific background. Second of all, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We need to provide tailored support to people trying to integrate in the labour market.
Once someone is ready to enter the labour market, it helps to have someone by your side who knows their way around. Local labour market insights can help people understand what type of jobs are available, and what industries might be open to someone with a certain skillset or even certain personal preferences.
Not everybody has the right skills to be successful immediately though, and especially people who have been away from the labour market for a longer time may need some re- or upskilling. Here, reskilling implies learning a new skill or a new job, whereas upskilling is more focused on refreshing your skills in an area where you already have some experience. Adecco often has access to training that fits labour market demand and knows how to get funding for those training courses.
Finally, Adecco and agencies like us also perform another function on the labour market. As recruitment experts, we are better able to assess and assume the risk of hiring justice impacted individuals. Acting as employers ourselves, our clients do not have to worry about the risk of hiring someone with a certain history. This may offer the individual an opportunity to prove themselves.
Conclusions
Together we have a responsibility to ensure we do not ignore prisoners.
First and foremost, we need to ensure adequate support, both during the time in prison, and after that. In the end, we know that prevention is more cost-effective than recidivism and can help alleviate labour scarcity.
Reintegration can only be successful when we create strong ecosystems. Civil society, state services such as the justice system but also Public Employment Services, and business & business alliances all have our role to play. And we can only play our role when we collaborate.
At Adecco, we strive for skills-first hiring. What is most important is if someone has the skills and the mindset to perform a particular job well. When that is the case, there is no need to dwell on past experiences. As a matter of principle, we will not speak about prison time towards clients unless required for practical or safety reasons.
Only then, we can truly Make the Future Work for Everyone.
Examples
The United Kingdom
Adecco UK are forming a partnership with key stakeholders in offender reform to create pathways and opportunity for those who can participate in work prior to release i.e. Release on Temporary License (ROTL) giving them the experience of the work environment & developing soft skills. For those that aren’t on the ROTL program it is important to provide skills in a simulated environment that can lead to meaningful & sustainable work upon release thus making the future work for everyone. The success of this is tripartite & reliant on Prison Education, Adecco & employers.
Spain
At Adecco, our branches are fundamental to making the future work for everyone. Last month, we caught up with Sara Villalba Sanchez, Director of Onsite Knorr Bremse in Getafe, near Madrid, who told us how she is making a difference to the lives of ex-offenders.
“Adecco is not just about recruiting.
“In my case, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with three different prisons (Ocaña I, Ocaña II and Navalcarnero) in Madrid in order to help people who have not been lucky in life and, after hitting rock bottom, are looking for a second chance in society.
“From Adecco we have assisted them in this process by teaching them how to create their own CV and accompanying them in their job search – and even on their first day at the new job!
“The client that hires this type of profile is Knorr-Bremse, a railway sector company that collaborates with the prisons having production lines in their facilities. The inmates work doing simple jobs and, once they complete their sentence, they have enough experience to work in the factories. We currently have eight active workers, but in total we have hired about 20.
“Thanks to these initiatives we have managed to take a step further in reintegration and social work.”
France
The French Adecco Group Foundation has been celebrating the 10-year partnership with Justice Deuxième Chance (Justice Second Chance), a French NGO we have been involved with since its very beginning.
Justice Deuxième Chance aims at facilitating social and professional reinsertion for persons having been convicted for up to one year of prison. Through dedicated coaches and also through corporate volunteering, offenders are being prepared for their return on the labour market. Adecco colleagues go to prisons to prepare individual sessions on CV, interview process and opportunity search.
Improved field relations with the administration, NGO and employers facilitate return to a new life after prison and secure a lower recidivism.
Together with involved corporate members, we take part in the board of the NGO, company mirror groups, on top of the job coaching volunteering from 10 colleagues in 2024.
