The number of employers who would recruit a person with criminal convictions is on the rise. When recently asked whether they, hypothetically, would recruit someone with a conviction, 45% of employers said they would, up from 25% when asked in 2010, according to the “Progress and Prejudice: Shifts in UK employer attitudes towards people with convictions” report. It was released by the charity Working Chance, which commissioned nfpResearch to survey 1,000 employers across a broad range of industries.

“One in six adults in the UK has a criminal record, which means that a lot of great candidates are being overlooked by hiring managers who are making decisions based on personal prejudice rather than judging people fairly and objectively,” said Natasha Finlayson, chief executive at Working Chance. “This is counterproductive in the face of chronic labour shortages driven by Brexit and the pandemic — employers should be more open-minded now than they’ve ever been if they want their businesses to thrive.”

Despite the increase in interest, the group noted there is still room for improvement. The report found that 30% of hiring managers said they would still automatically exclude a candidate who disclosed a criminal conviction despite only 15% saying it was their company’s policy to reject applicants with convictions.

Risk of reoffending was the biggest concern among employers who would not hire someone with a conviction.

However, Finlayson said 91% of those surveyed who have recruited people with convictions say the employee settled in well with colleagues and 81% said they proved to be loyal members of staff.

Working Chance is a national UK charity that works to support women with convictions into employment.