We're Hiring! Examining the Factors Influencing Employment of Retuning Citizens

• In Event: Innovative Mixed Methods Approaches in the Study of Reentry

Abstract

Previous literature has established that successful reentry is contingent upon many factors; a prominent aspect being accessibility to, and maintaining of, employment. However, formerly incarcerated individuals often face additional challenges when seeking employment including stigmatization from prospective employers. Much of the current literature on the perspectives of employers describes the opinions of major corporations who are often incentivized to hire. However, very little is known about small business owners. Furthermore, even less is known about Black-owned businesses, which is a relevant aspect of this discussion seeing as hiring decisions are shaped by employers’ and applicants’ racial background and there is a disproportionate number of people of color reentering communities after incarceration. The current study seeks to fill these gaps in the literature by employing a mixed methods approach to small businesses located in a small size city in New England. The study explores the hiring perceptions of small business owners, seeking to develop a greater understanding of the major factors that influence the hiring process. Additionally, this study specifically highlights Black-owned establishments to determine any differences in the hiring decisions made by owners of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Authors

• Mirlinda Ndrecka, University of New Haven

• Kylie McCarthy, University of New Haven

• Cheryl Lero Jonson, Xavier University

• Janet Garcia-Hallett, University of New Haven