American Family Insurance’s Hiring Policies Increase Talent Pool
American Family Insurance helps previously incarcerated individuals find employment and close equity gaps.
Sponsored by: American Family Insurance
So many businesses claim to care about social issues and making the world a better place, but so few actually follow through.
But occasionally, there are companies that care – and Madison, Wisconsin’s own American Family Insurance is one of the good ones.
In 2018, the firm launched the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact with the goal of closing equity gaps. By partnering with organizations and experts, the institute supports underserved families, especially those who have been impacted by incarceration.
This effort laid the groundwork for a more concentrated social impact effort internally at AFI, by way of a new policy called fair chance hiring.
“Fair chance hiring is built on the premise that everyone has the right to be fairly assessed for a role for which they are qualified, regardless of their background,” says Nyra Jordan, social impact investment director for AFI. “We’re tapping into a talent pool of formerly incarcerated people that have been widely excluded, and we’re leveraging that to solve our talent needs and do our part to support communities.”
When applicants apply to work at AFI, there’s no box on a form that asks about felony convictions. Instead, candidates go through the interview process like everyone else and, if deemed the most qualified person for the role, a background check is conducted – with the only focus being on how a past offense correlates to the job one is being hired to perform.
An employee’s background is not shared with other employees by the company. Instead, human resources may discuss scheduling flexibility with the employee’s manager if that accommodation is necessary.
AFI is also working to change internal culture to create a more inclusive environment and address common misconceptions.
“We launched a program to educate across our organization about the history of incarceration and the reality of research that shows that individuals with a criminal record are no more likely to get terminated for workplace infractions than their peers,” Jordan says. “Research shows that individuals with a past conviction are very loyal, productive employees that perform at high levels.”
