Fair hiring
Company Overview
• Headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI
• Additional production facilities in Stirling,
Ontario and Denver, CO.
• The largest national supplier of specialty
butter in North America.
• Family owned and in business over 50 years
• Primary focus is on the Foodservice market
• 180 employees
Family of Companies
Grand Rapids - Foodservice
Denver – Retail &
Foodservice
Toronto – Foodservice &
Retail
Recruitment Sources
• Staffing Agencies
• Non Profit Community Partners
• Urban League, Jubilee Jobs, Hope Network, Cap, Guiding
Light, Women’s Resource Center
• Direct recruitment
• Employee Referrals
Hires
Year
2013
Hires
83
Returning citizens
38%
2014
59
34%
2015 ytd
81
53%
Turnover
Year
2013
Terms
33
Returning citizens
46%
2014
14
38%
2015 ytd
29
54%
Process
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Banned the box
HR interviews
Hiring Manager gives tour and interviews
Background verification
2012 EEOC Guidance
• Nature and gravity of offense
• Time that has passed
• Nature of the job
• Recommendations
– Review employment prior to offense
– Consider character references
– Efforts undertaken to rehab
Ideas
• Tour prison
• Ask questions in interview about training,
certificates or jobs held while incarcerated
• 30-2-2 program
Benefits
• Increase in qualified applicants
• Positive for community-tax paying citizen
• Positive for returning citizen and their familyadding value and feel valued
• Positive on company culture and bottom lineengaged employees
Lessons Learned
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•
•
•
•
•
Keep background information confidential
Support system
Opportunity, not different expectations
Balance
Equal chance of success = engaged employees
Right for them, good business decision for
your company