Ask HR

Q. If an applicant has a history of being convicted as a felon, what advice can you offer them to help them get back in the work force while being honest about their past?

Dr. Joann Adeogun, PHR, President, Adeogun & Associates, LLC

A.

The first point of contact should be your current or former probation officer to gain insight into the types of companies that have successfully hired former convicts. Those companies should be researched and targeted as a means of gaining successful employment. Of course, full disclosure of your history is necessary regardless of the targeted company.

Scott Freed, SPHR, Regional Senior Director of Human Resources, Marriott International / Central Region

A. First and foremost, honesty about your history is essential. However, not every job is open to convicted felons so be prepared for rejections and don’t get frustrated. Explain to the potential employer what you have learned from your past. Be open to all opportunities so that you can get back into the work force and reestablish an employment history.

Tywana Minor, HR Manager, RBS Americas

A. There is no textbook answer to this scenario but the future success of an individual in this situation starts first with the individual. The best advice I can offer is to focus on the future because focusing on the past will not produce results. In addition, I offer the following tips to getting back into the workforce after a felony conviction: 1) be confident and decide on a career path, 2) develop a personal plan to success (determine what success looks like to you), 3) be aggressive and apply for opportunities, 4) get current in your career field of choice and stay current (invest in yourself and arm yourself with knowledge), 5) volunteer to gain additional experience, enhance skills and build new relationships, 6) Don?t give up. When one door closes, another one opens. Consistent persistence is key!

The following human resources professionals are members of the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. If you have a question you would like to ask a panel of local experts, please e-mail it to Sharon Belhamel, vice president of public relations for SHRM-Atlanta at sbelhamel@bellsouth.net. For more information about becoming a member of SHRM-Atlanta, please visit their membership section or call 404.442.7335.