Would I Hire a Women in Recovery?

When you consider hiring a recovering addict or alcoholic, there are going to be concerns. Oh, are there going to be concerns!

Is she reliable? Am I putting anyone in danger? Don’t addicts steal? What if the stress becomes too much? What if she relapses? Will it be my fault?

These are certainly legitimate concerns, but there’s only one make-it-or-break-it question – Do the benefits of hiring a woman in recovery outweigh the risks?

Well, do they?

In my experience, the answer is a resounding yes! My experience is that women who’ve gone to a women’s treatment center understand the magnitude of second (and maybe third) chances. This is true of everyone in recovery, really.

Women in recovery know their sobriety may be considered a risk. They’ve already worked harder than most other applications to reach the point where they’re applying for a job! They know the odds might be slim. So when they DO get a job, they tend to work harder. They take extra care to be more reliable. They work a program of recovery which places a premium on honesty, hard work, and accountability. They have an appreciation for the job which goes well beyond a paycheck!

I’ve found that recovering women take more pride in their work. They value their accomplishments. They’ve worked incredibly hard to even be in a position to become employable.

Recovering alcoholics understand accountability. When mistakes are made, and they always are!, recovering women know how to admit and accept fault. They’ll work immediately and tirelessly to right any wrongs.

Yet another benefit of hiring those in sobriety is their commitment. Many recovering alcoholics put their work and careers ahead of their social lives (yeah, we’re weird like that!). Wile other employees are rushing to happy house, those in recovery have different priorities. Of course, we’re only human and are happy to leave at the end of the workday. Getting to a meeting is much higher on the list than hanging out at a local bar. You can be fairly certain they won’t be trudging into work late and hungover!

Overall, I’d say the benefits of hiring those in recovery far outweigh that possible risks. Besides, I’ve worked with, and likely hired, plenty of lying, cheating, unreliable criminals who weren’t addicts!