We have launched a new Employer Referral Program that allows our Employment Partners to earn credit by inviting other fair-chance businesses to join Honest Jobs! This simple process will enable you to earn up to $250 in credits per referral towards a Premium Plan. Here is a quick explanation of how the program works:

Last Saturday, Harley Blakeman, the CEO & Founder of Honest Jobs, and Scott Simon from NPR discussed how hiring justice-involved job seekers could solve the U.S. labor shortage. There are stigmas and biases against people with criminal backgrounds, and many face significant employment barriers. However, more and more employers are open to hire them. Redefining hiring policies to include people with conviction records not only changes lives but also helps struggling businesses

Changing lives through transitional employment The Women's Bean Project in Denver, Colorado, is committed to helping women struggling to find or maintain employment. The program offers a transitional employment program, where the participants start as production assistants making and packaging Women's Bean Project products. They sell beautifully packaged soup, baking mixes, snacks, instant meals, coffee, tea, spice blends, and gift boxes. During the program, the employees tak

Having a resume is one of the most important steps in your job search process, and is even more important if you have a criminal record. It shows that you are willing to put effort into your job search and change your life for the better. Without a resume, it is extremely difficult to get an interview, and much harder to find a job that matches your needs. A resume is an easy and practical way employers get informed about your education, job experience, and skills. Therefore,

Millions of people face barriers to employment despite the labor shortage Don Lee's article in the Los Angeles Times draws attention to the employment issue the country is facing due to the pandemic. U.S. employers reported 10.9 million job openings this summer. Companies have a hard time filling their roles, which leads to more of them being open to hiring justice-involved job seekers. A small section of businesses has already made the initiative to hire people with crimin

It is crucial for people with felony convictions on their record to identify the skills that they have gained during their life; either while incarcerated or in past work experiences. Knowing what you can offer to an employer will help you identify the jobs for which you are the most qualified. Including these skills on your resume will help to set you apart from other candidates. Talking about your skills and providing examples of when you used them will also help you during

The impact of incarceration rarely ends after release. In today's tight labor market, many companies are trying different tactics to hire or retain employees. For instance, offering significant sign-on bonuses, paying higher wages, hosting national hiring events, and offering tuition reimbursement are not uncommon. However, one in three Americans have some type of criminal record and face significant barriers to employment. The impact of incarceration rarely ends after releas

Finding your first job after a conviction can be extremely difficult, time-consuming, and sometimes disappointing. At Honest Jobs, we focus on making that process faster and easier by connecting you with proven fair-chance employers. Even with this advantage, there are still some things that you can do to better your chances and be more competitive in the job market. First, we would like to talk about education, which might be even more critical if you have a criminal record.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department (MD) established the Re-Entry and Community Collaboration Program to help their formerly incarcerated residents, veterans, and those at risk of being involved with the justice system to get back on their feet and reenter society successfully. The program started in December 2021, has already supported its first five graduates, who believe that the opportunity was life-changing. Ronnie Johnson, one of the program graduates, spent eig

The Federal Bonding Program aims to encourage employers to hire people with criminal records by providing Fidelity Bonds. The bonding program seems to be successful so far. According to a survey of “Employer Attitudes Toward Hiring Ex-Offenders” published by The Prison Journal, employers were more likely to hire justice-involved individuals who were bonded. This has already led to 41,000 job placements of “hard-to-place” individuals (The Legal Act Center). FBP offers the poss

What is Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit program that aims to incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to jobs for individuals who consistently face significant barriers to employment, including people with criminal backgrounds. The "qualified ex-felon" category includes people hired within a year of being convicted or released from prison due to a felony. See all targeted groups that qualify empl

The People's Pottery Project's mission is to empower and give an opportunity to formerly incarcerated women, trans and non-binary individuals. The non-profit ceramic business makes it possible for participants to get paid training and make a living wage while being part of this healing community. "Through our collective work, members gain a platform to connect to others, share their stories, and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarce

Joseph's example shows that just because someone made a mistake, doesn't mean they are not a good person. His convictions made it difficult for him to find a job, but he didn't give up and he knew there was someone out there who would give him a chance to prove himself. With Honest Jobs, he found an employer who saw his potential rather than his past. Learn more about his experience in the video below:

One in three people has some type of criminal record in the US. Even a misdemeanor keeps people locked out of job opportunities. Shakira applied to many jobs, but as soon as the companies ran the background check, they refused to offer her a position. After signing up with Honest Jobs, she found a job within just 3 days. Learn more about her experience in the video below:

We know how difficult it can be to find a job with a sex offense. Eric realized it at the early stages of his job search and he started to look for resources. That's when he found Honest Jobs. With our services, he found employment soon after he signed up. Learn more about his experience in the video below:

Fighting against inequality Step Up Durham is a nonprofit organization that aims to help formerly incarcerated individuals get back to their lives. A partnership with the City of Durham allows Step Up Durham to raise money to provide 115 former offenders with guaranteed income. A $500 check will be provided every month starting December 2021 through January 2023. "I'm just excited. I think this pandemic has shown us that we need to be more innovative around poverty, around

On Honest Jobs’ blog, we have discussed topics like how to start your job search with a conviction, how to write a resume, and how to prepare for your job interview. We have discussed how and when to talk about your criminal background and what questions to prepare for. At Honest Jobs, we are trying to make the job searching process for justice impacted individuals as easy and fast as possible, but it is important to spend time thinking about these topics for you to have the

Welcome home SIS Welcome home SIS is a nonprofit organization in Cleveland, Ohio, that helps formerly incarcerated women with transitional housing and also serves as a reentry program. SIS itself stands for ‘system impacted survivors’. According to Angie Regan, the founder of Welcome Home SIS : "Women are the fastest-growing prison population nationwide and in Ohio. They are being incarcerated at twice the rate of men.” Aiming for the successful reentry to society There are

Are you attending #SHRM21 in Las Vegas this week? Stop by the Workplace Innovation Zone in the Expo Hall and say hi! Also, be on the lookout for our Founder and CEO, Harley Blakeman , who is attending as one of the powerful SHRM Influencers ! Now More Than Ever #SHRMNMTE Can't wait to see you there! Did you know? The Society for Human Resource Management (aka SHRM) offers a free Getting Talent Back to Work certificate. This 10 hour, interactive program provides the knowle

Moe Clark’s article highlights the “ Chained Voices ” exhibit at the University of Denver which showcases art solely created by individuals incarcerated in Colorado prisons. The exhibit is part of a broader collaboration between DU and the Colorado Department of Corrections. The aim is to change the prison culture and to empower incarcerated people to find a purpose. Dean Williams, the director of the Department of Corrections, also highlighted that the showcase represents “n