Justice Champion Spotlight: Kelly Services

Interview with Keilon Ratliff, Professional and Industrial Global Vice President of Operations.

What is Kelly Services? 

We’re a global workforce solutions provider that connects talented people to companies in need of their skills in fields including science, engineering, education, manufacturing, and more. We operate in 25 countries and place around 370,000 people every year. 

We just celebrated our 75th anniversary. Our founder William Russell Kelly pioneered the staffing industry in 1946 when he connected women, who had kept America’s economy moving forward during World War II and suddenly found themselves replaced by returning servicemen, with office work in Detroit’s booming business districts.

Today, Kelly is a very different company. Staffing is still at the heart of our business, but we also offer a suite of other services including business process outsourcing, recruitment process outsourcing, call center services, managed service provider solutions, and payroll services. 

What is Kelly 33? How does it work to provide meaningful second chances?  

Kelly 33 connects talented job seekers who have a non-violent, non-relevant criminal background with employers in need of their skills. The program gives hiring managers access to undiscovered talent looking for a second chance. It was inspired by a successful partnership between Kelly and Toyota Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky. 

Toyota and Kelly collaborated to conduct individualized screenings of candidates’ criminal background records to evaluate job-relatedness and how criminal conduct was related to a specific position when placing candidates at Toyota. As of today, we have evaluated more than 1,200 candidates with a criminal record for potential assignments at Toyota, 92% of whom have deemed eligible for placement. More than half of those candidates accepted Kelly’s offer for placement at Toyota. 

Not one second chance worker placed at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant has been terminated for behavior that correlated to their criminal history, which is sometimes a bias that prevents companies from hiring or accepting candidates with criminal records. We now fill positions quicker and people across the community applaud Toyota’s commitment to equity.

We conceptualized Kelly 33 to bring similar initiatives to clients across the country because we believe that access to work is the biggest driver for justice and equality in America.

How did you get involved in this work? What made it a priority for Kelly Services?  

I have personally witnessed how difficult it can be for individuals with a criminal record to break free from a cycle of poverty and crime without access to work. In my role I have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people who share similar backgrounds with friends and family I grew up with. That’s what motives me.

I’m fortunate to work for a company whose noble purpose is to connect people to work in ways that enrich their lives. Our CEO Peter Quigley in October 2020 launched an initiative called Equity@Work that aims to remove unjust barriers to employment that prevent job seekers from finding meaningful work. Kelly 33 is part of that effort. Other barriers include outdated drug screening policies, 4-year degree requirements when other credentials and work experience may suffice, biases against job seekers who took time out of the workforce to care for dependents, or discrimination against neurodiverse talent and opportunity youth. We believe that knocking down these barriers is not just the right thing to do, it’s good business.

 What are the main drivers for companies to adopt second chance hiring practices? What’s the business case?

The numbers speak for themselves really. Take our work with Toyota as an example. As a result of opening the doors to candidates who had a blemish on their record, Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant increased its talent pool by 20%, reduced its turnover rate by 70%, and increased its overall diversity rate by 8%, which ranks among the top companies in the Central Kentucky region.

Today’s labor market is complicated. Talent is hard to find and difficult to retain. Turnover rates – and associated costs – are high, and it’s an ongoing challenge to fill open positions and maintain productivity. It’s costly too with employers spending an average of $10,000 per employee in turnover-related costs.

Second chance hiring is a solution to those challenges. Programs like Kelly 33 offer employers a way to connect with who will show up and keep showing up, appreciate the opportunity to work, complete the job well, and crush chronic turnover challenges.

In addition, our research shows that the vast majority of Americans support second chance hiring. Our survey showed that 71% agree employers should eliminate or reduce blanket-bans that automatically reject job seekers with minor, non-violent criminal offenses; and 76% say they are more likely to support a business committed to breaking down discriminatory barriers that prevent Americans from finding employment.

 Why is it more important than ever that we help justice-impacted individuals enter the workforce? 

I think this has always been an important issue and I am glad to see that many of the biggest companies in the U.S. have woken up to the fact. Kelly was proud to become the first staffing provider to join the Second Chance Business Coalition – a group of likeminded companies who are committed to hiring justice-impacted individuals. There’s definitely momentum on this issue. Maybe that has to do with the current labor market dynamics and the hiring challenges many employers face. 

 What are some of the challenges? 

I think one of the biggest challenges is that many employers are not even aware that they have outdated hiring practices in place and that they could increase their talent pools relatively quickly by making a few simple changes. When I speak to clients about the barriers they have in place, including unjust background check processes, they often can’t explain why these policies exist. Raising that awareness and getting them to move in the direction of simple process changes is half the battle. 

What are the reservations you have encountered from employers when it comes to hiring workers with criminals or arrest records? How do you respond to them?

Employers may think that second chance workers are unreliable or that they might bring their criminal behavior to work, when in fact we have experienced the opposite. The justice-impacted workers we’ve placed have been extremely motivated to work and loyal to their employers. They desire a second chance, they want to prove themselves, and they are among the most productive workers we have on assignment. 

 What advice would you give to employers looking to start Second Chance hiring?  

Talk to us! We’d love to work with you and explore how Kelly can help you achieve your second chance hiring goals. Visit www.kelly33.com to learn more.