Flowers Foods supports the Second Chance initiative.
According to Dan Letchinger, senior vice president of development brands at Flowers Foods, Inc., the company’s Second Chance employment program, which hires workers with a criminal past, shouldn’t be viewed as “charity” or a means of demonstrating “pity.”
According to him, the initiative should be seen “from a perspective of hiring the best person for the job— full stop.” On March 1, during the American Society of Baking BakingTech 2023, held at the Hilton hotel in Chicago, Mr. Letchinger gave background information regarding the initiative.
He declared, “We think that obtaining full employment should not be hampered by a criminal conviction.” “Why not provide someone a job if they are willing to make a change, if they are prepared to work hard, show up on time, and be a dependable diligent worker? Like other businesses, we are seeking devoted and industrious workers, and we believe it would be irresponsible to reject applicants who meet those requirements simply because they checked a different box on their application.
An essential component of the Dave’s Killer Bread (DKB) company that Flowers purchased in 2015 was the Second Chance initiative. Mr. Letchinger told the tale of how, following a 15-year jail sentence, Dave Dahl started the brand when he went back to his family’s Oregon baking business. DKB has expanded quickly since Flowers bought it.
Mr. Letchinger stated that Flowers, having owned DKB for a number of years, saw itself as a “thought leader” in the field when it comes to recruiting workers with criminal histories. He added there are many job hopefuls in this pool.
According to Mr. Letchinger, “one in four Americans has a criminal background today.” According to him, there is a fifty percent likelihood that a job applicant with a criminal record will not be called in for an interview.
Two thirds of those who are released from prison return within five years due to high rates of recidivism, which can be partially attributed to the challenges people with criminal histories face in the job market.
He said, “The deck is really stacked against you,” adding that those with criminal records frequently cannot do “basic things we take for granted,” like signing a lease or opening a bank account.
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According to Mr. Letchinger, there are common misconceptions about people with criminal histories, including the idea of them as violent, grizzled, and hardened criminals.
“There is a lot more nuance in reality,” he stated. “I’ve had numerous clients who were incarcerated. There is no way that I would have known if they hadn’t told me. We are aware that these workers may be among the most devoted and hardworking. If ten doors suddenly closed on you and one opened, you could only imagine how appreciative you would be.
At all 49 of its baking facilities, Flowers currently provides Second Chance jobs. Mr. Letchinger pushed for the adoption of this program by other audience members.
He declared, “We’re looking for more employers to join this cause.”
He indicated he would provide resources in the non-profit sector to assist with onboarding and offered the Flowers Foods HR team as a resource.