Kelly Services Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) today announced “Equity@Work,” a program aimed at reducing barriers to work and removing biases in hiring practices.
“Equity@Work sets the course for changes to Kelly’s own hiring practices such as removing salary and criminal history from our internal employment applications,” President and CEO Peter Quigley said.
In addition, Kelly Services updated its policy around minor drug offenses — specifically marijuana convictions — to allow more people with few or low-level criminal offenses greater opportunity to access to work within the company.
Kelly Services also said it’s using tech to help ensure equitable and inclusive terminology in its job postings.
The company’s Equity@Work program efforts also include:
- Working on a partnership with the SHRM Foundation to bring the issues of workplace inclusion and criminal history barriers to the forefront of HR.
- Partnering with the Detroit Regional Talent Compact to improve the region’s access to post-high school educational credentials and reduce equity gaps.
- In the education field, it’s working on a program called “Pathway to Teaching” that provides diverse candidates a way to participate in on-the-job credentialing and the opportunity to secure a career in the classroom.
- The company said it has also benefited from the expertise of the Lumina Foundation and its focus on opening equitable pathways to work through education.
“As part of this initiative, we are also calling on like-minded leaders and organizations to join forces in addressing workforce barriers,” Quigley said. “When we stand together against inequities, we can help people reach their full potential.”