Supervising Employees With Criminal History: An Exploratory Study of Manager Strategies and Perceptions

Area of Science:

• Social Science
• Management Studies
• Criminal Justice

Background:

• Hiring individuals with criminal history presents unique supervisory challenges.
• Effective management strategies are crucial for the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated employees into the workforce.
• There is a need for practical guidance for supervisors overseeing this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify effective supervisory strategies for employees with criminal history.
• To inform management training programs and employer practices.
• To explore the experiences of supervisors with formerly incarcerated employees.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 10 semistructured interviews with experienced supervisors at Pioneer Human Services.
• Utilized a purposive sampling method to select skilled supervisors.
• Analyzed interview data using a combination of a priori and inductive coding.

Main Results:

• Two key supervisory strategies emerged: demonstrating cultural competence and knowledge of community resources.
• Supervisors should be culturally competent in interactions with formerly incarcerated employees.
• Supervisors need to be knowledgeable about community resources to support employee needs.

Conclusions:

• Cultural competence and resource navigation are vital for effective supervision of employees with criminal history.
• These findings can be integrated into management training to support inclusive hiring practices.
• Employers can benefit from understanding and implementing these evidence-based supervisory approaches.