Retail surgery: Do ex-offenders make good employees?

Many employers, especially retailers who can lose so much from theft by both customers and staff, might think that the answer to this is clearly not.

Jocelyn Hillman, chief executive of Working Chance, a charity that helps female ex-offenders get back into work, says that, contrary to expectations, “ex-offenders make excellent employees – in many respects they are likely to be better than those without criminal convictions”.

This is because she says, offenders are often keen to get a job that will enable them to regain access to their children, which they may have lost as a result of their prison sentence, and are reliable as a result. Hillman adds: “With jobs for ex-offenders so scarce, they know all too well they may not get another chance. They are highly motivated to work hard and succeed.”

Despite these positive factors, many retail recruitment schemes put applicants straight onto the ‘no’ pile if they have any criminal convictions. This approach is often justified by the misconception that it will reduce risk. But Hillman claims employing offenders may actually reduce theft.

In 2011, according to the Centre for Retail Research, more than £1.75bn was stolen from UK retailers by its current workforce. “This means that some retailers are already employing criminals. They just do not know who they are and have not yet caught them,” adds Hillman. “It may be that employing ex-offenders could improve the loyalty and effectiveness of a workforce.”