Concordance Employment Agency
The Concordance Employment Agency is an alternative staffing agency with the dual mission of delivering staffing services while helping individuals overcome obstacles to employment so they can have a successful return to their communities.
One of Concordance’s many goals is to help break down the stigma of hiring formerly incarcerated individuals.
Did you know that the vast majority of business and HR leaders report that individuals with criminal records perform the same or better than employees without criminal records? In fact, the risks of hiring formerly incarcerated individuals are greatly diminished when working with an established re-entry organization.
Our holistic, integrated, and evidence-informed job placement program provides key benefits for hiring partners and associates – to maximize success for both.
There is little or no risk when the applicant comes from an established re-entry organization with a strong history of successfully placing clients with employers.”
Society of Human Resource Management, as noted in the “Getting Talent Back to Work Toolkit
Key Differentiators
How We Maximize Success for Everyone
Our unique program includes 18 months of holistic support for our associates to maximize their success – and minimize risk for our hiring partners.
Healing-First Model
Our healing first model ensures that associates are supported and prepared for employment. This includes ongoing mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment.
Rigorous Requirements
As a condition of initial and ongoing employment, associates must remain in good standing with Concordance program requirements.
Try Before You Hire
Our temp-to-perm process means hiring partners get to know associates before they are converted to permanent hires.
EAP-Style Support
Our wraparound support provides every associate with guidance from a licensed therapist, case manager, and career coach.
500+ Hours of Training
Associates receive valuable training and development across 12 service areas including soft skills and digital literacy.
The Right Skills. The Right Jobs. The Right Time.
Successfully placing participants into part- and full-time employment requires the right mix of skills, jobs, and timing. Each of these is taken into consideration when participants begin working with the Concordance Employment Agency.
The Right Skills
At Concordance, participants receive more than 500 hours of programming across 12 service areas to help prepare them for success at work, home, and in the community. Workplace skill development activities include:
Ability to interact and communicate effectively with teammates and supervisors.
Ability to access and navigate information efficiently and ethically on virtual platforms like the internet, computers, smartphones, and social media.
Ability to apply mathematical reasoning to work-related problems and utilize information from documents to solve problems.
Knowledge and understanding of quality, safety, productivity, and customer service apply to specific jobs.
The Right Jobs
Job Characteristics
- Are inclusive in that they hire individuals with criminal records and provide a welcoming environment
- Pay a living wage that allows participants to meet their essential needs
- Have limited training requirements that can be replicated in our 40-hour workplace simulation
- Provide a consistent demand for labor to support job placements for multiple participants to accommodate on-site career coaching
Operational Requirements
- Offer a part-time to full-time employment experience aligned with their programming at Concordance
- Attend supervisor orientation
- Provide bi-weekly performance feedback
- Allow Concordance, as the employer of record, to pull associates from work to support healing, as needed
The Right Time
After consenting, each participant completes an assessment and receives weekly individual and group programming with therapists and career educators.
Participants can begin programming the day after leaving prison. Participants’ first few days at our Center is their orientation where they meet their support team.
Participants enter intensive full-day programming where they attend individual and group sessions with therapists, case managers, and career educators.
Participants learn hard and soft skills, through workplace simulation and job readiness training. While in part-time employment, they return to Concordance every afternoon for programming.
Participants are employed full-time through the Concordance Employment Agency. They continue to meet weekly with their support team.
Upon completion of the program, participants are celebrated and honored at an annual graduation ceremony.
Resources for Associates
Links and information to help you find a job, keep a job, enter your time, and more.
Resources for Hiring Partners
Information on the benefits and requirements of partnering with us.