We’ve been working with Big Yellow Self Storage to rethink their approach to hiring people with convictions. We recently sat down with Cheryl Hathaway, their Head of People, Talent and Development, to hear what changes they’ve made to their hiring practices, including a culture shift across the organisation. From refining recruitment policies to creating more inclusive opportunities, Cheryl shares how working with us has made a real impact.
Cheryl Hathaway, Head of People, Talent and Development, Big Yellow Self Storage“WE NOW FEEL A LOT MORE CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE IN TERMS OF OUR PROCESSES FOR HIRING PEOPLE WITH CONVICTIONS.”
Before partnering with Working Chance, what was Big Yellow's view on hiring people with convictions, and was this something you were already doing?
We’ve always been keen to be an inclusive and diverse employer and offer employment opportunities to people from all walks of life. As part of that, we wanted to help people with convictions, but what was holding us back was that we didn’t have the knowledge of how to go about it, and that's where Working Chance has really helped us.
What were the main challenges Big Yellow faced in implementing a more inclusive recruitment process?
Something we had to work through was people's preconceptions of people with convictions. Some of the team had some concerns about things like the security and safety of the building and the premises, their teams and other people – this was simply due to a lack of knowledge about people with convictions. Working Chance was able to educate the business about the advantages of hiring people with convictions and the huge benefits that can bring, and then gave us practical support to carry out the recruitment process.
What support has Big Yellow had from Working Chance?
We’ve had a lot of support from Working Chance. Natasha [Working Chance’s chief executive] spoke at our annual conference and her presentation had such an impact, it really made people sit up and listen.
After that, within the people team, we wanted to put some structure in place around proactively hiring people with convictions, because we didn’t have anything formal at all. We wrote two new policy documents: one was about recruiting people, and one was to do with creating specific work placements for people with convictions.
Working Chance’s amazing Hiring With Conviction guide was a massive help to us here because it's really practical, really clear, and it gave us so much support. That in itself gave us a huge amount of confidence because we had a framework to work within.
The other thing we wanted to do was create a mentor scheme to support people with convictions who joined the business. Working Chance trained nine selected members across the business.
And finally to deepen the organisation’s understanding, Working Chance ran three workshops for nearly 150 recruitment managers and line managers. We looked at some of the concerns, the statistics around people with convictions, and how important it is to consider convictions with the full context. This was instrumental in putting an end to those preconceptions about the criminal justice system and help people see the benefits of this work. We now have in-house experts and this has built so much confidence across the whole business.
Working Chance can help your organisation hire ethically and effectively
Cheryl Hathaway, Head of People, Talent and Development, Big Yellow Self StorageI absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Working Chance. The support has made a huge difference in what we’ve been able to achieve. The knowledge, the support, the flexibility and the adaptability to work with us as an organisation has just been fantastic.
Let’s work together
Working Chance is your go-to expert for developing your organisation's understanding of hiring people with convictions. We offer a range of affordable workshops and bespoke consultancy to help businesses of all sizes build inclusive recruitment practices.
Here’s what we offer:
- Bronze: A one-hour online session to introduce you to effective practices for hiring people with convictions.
- Silver: A half-day advisory session where we’ll dive into your current recruitment practices and offer tailored recommendations for improvement.
- Gold: Ongoing, customised support including policy writing, training and mentorship schemes to embed inclusivity into your business.
Ready to transform your recruitment policies and support diverse talent? Get in touch with our friendly team today to hear more and see the difference it can make in your workplace.
