Watch Video: Unlock 70 Million More Job Candidates on Oct. 26

Current hiring methods exclude nearly 70 million Americans with a conviction history. Ninety percent of private employers use criminal background checks, but more than half disqualify a candidate without individual assessment. 

On Thursday, October 26, 2023, Timothy McNutt, director of Cornell ILR’s Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative (CJEI), discussed policies to help integrate job seekers with criminal records into the workforce. 

Unlocking Employment: Opening Pathways to Economic Opportunity for People With Criminal Records will explore the barriers opposing people with criminal records, and the importance of using evidence-based predictors of job success rather than risk-based assessments of workers.

Employers and job seekers need new tools to replace outdated and inequitable hiring practices. McNutt will present the Yang-Tan Workability Incubator’s Restorative Record, a new tool to help employers and job seekers look beyond traditional résumés, cover letters, and background reports that narrow talent pools.

In the face of a nationwide labor shortage, Unlocking Employment will also debunk myths about workers with criminal records and explore the role of technology in improving access to work. Moreover, McNutt will draw connections from the experiences of justice-impacted workers to other marginalized workers and how these experiences relate to broader themes of access to work, equity, and economic development. 

Click here to view the recording.