Honest Jobs
Honest Jobs is a fair-chance employment platform connecting justice-involved job seekers with background-friendly employers via a proprietary AI matching algorithm. It serves three segments: free job seekers, paying employers posting jobs, and reentry professionals on tiered subscriptions. Acquired by Orijin in February 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Honest Jobs does
Honest Jobs operates a fair-chance employment platform connecting currently and formerly incarcerated individuals with background-friendly employers across the United States. Founded in 2018 by Harley Blakeman, a returning citizen, the company built a national marketplace serving three primary user groups: justice-involved job seekers (free users accessing the Fair Chance Job Board), fair-chance employers (paying customers who post jobs and search candidates), and reentry professionals such as probation officers and case managers (tiered subscription users of Reentry Navigator). The platform had grown to support 210,000+ job seekers, 300,000+ job openings from 1,500+ employers, and claimed to help seekers find employment up to 7x faster than traditional methods.
The platform's core technology is ConflixAI, a proprietary text-based matching algorithm that analyzes a job seeker's criminal history against 87 standard crime type categories and job posting requirements to produce a compatibility score. The product suite comprises the Fair Chance Job Board, Reentry Navigator (a case management tool with Basic, Full Access, and Enterprise tiers including Employment Tracking launched July 2025), Reentry Planner (a pre-release planning tool for incarcerated individuals), and supporting guidebooks and resources. The platform integrates with FindHelp.org for access to 200,000+ reentry support resources and operates on web and mobile-optimized interfaces. Revenue is generated through employer job posting fees, tiered Reentry Navigator subscriptions, branded merchandise ($15-$60 per item), and a $99 Fair Chance Employer Quarterly Report digital product.
In February 2026, Honest Jobs was acquired by Orijin, PBC, a New York City-based correctional education and workforce development technology company. The combination merged Orijin's in-facility correctional education programs with Honest Jobs' employer network, creating what Orijin describes as the first end-to-end pathway from incarceration to employment in the United States. Prior to the acquisition, Honest Jobs had raised approximately $2.9 million across four rounds between November 2020 and December 2022, including a $1.5 million round led by Stand Together Ventures Lab in March 2022, and operated with 1-10 employees from Austin, Texas.
Honest Jobs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Honest Jobs
- Legal name
- Honest Jobs, Inc.
- Website
- https://honestjobs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Honest Jobs is a fair-chance employment platform connecting justice-involved job seekers with background-friendly employers via a proprietary AI matching algorithm. It serves three segments: free job seekers, paying employers posting jobs, and reentry professionals on tiered subscriptions. Acquired by Orijin in February 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Honest Jobs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fair-Chance Employment Platform
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Outplacement Platforms & Virtual Career Transition (BPACAOAL)
Keywords
Where Honest Jobs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Honest Jobs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Employer Job Postings: Employers pay to post job opportunities and access the candidate search feature on the fair chance job board. Job seekers use the platform for free.
- Reentry Navigator Subscriptions: Tiered subscription model for reentry professionals with Basic, Full Access, and Enterprise tiers. Basic accounts have limited visibility; Full Access includes job application tracking and job recommendations; Enterprise includes advanced features.
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and notebooks with fair chance employment messaging.
- Digital Products: Sale of digital downloads including the Fair Chance Employer Quarterly Report at $99.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Job Seeker - Free |
| Subscription | Monthly | Reentry Navigator Basic |
| Subscription | Monthly | Reentry Navigator Full Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Reentry Navigator Enterprise |
| Unit Pricing | Others | Merchandise - T-shirts |
| Unit Pricing | Others | Merchandise - Hoodies |
| Unit Pricing | Others | Merchandise - Mugs |
| Unit Pricing | Others | Merchandise - Stickers |
| Unit Pricing | Others | Merchandise - Accessories |
| One time/ perpetual license | Others | Fair Chance Employer Quarterly Report |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Honest Jobs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Honest Jobs operates a fair-chance employment platform that connects currently and formerly incarcerated job seekers with background-friendly employers through a proprietary ConflixAI matching algorithm. The platform is free for job seekers and monetizes via employer job postings, tiered Reentry Navigator subscriptions for case managers and probation officers, and branded merchandise sales. It also offers planning tools for incarcerated individuals preparing for reentry and integrations with reentry resource networks.
Product overview
Honest Jobs operates as a unified fair-chance employment platform consisting of three core tools: the Fair Chance Job Board for job seekers and employers, Reentry Navigator for reentry professionals and community corrections staff, and Reentry Planner for incarcerated individuals. The platform uses proprietary AI matching (ConflixAI) to connect justice-involved individuals with background-friendly employers across 350,000+ job opportunities. Supporting resources include guidebooks for job seekers and employers, the Incarcerated Learner Workbook, and a merchandise shop. The platform was acquired by Orijin in February 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fair Chance Job Board The primary job board platform connecting justice-involved job seekers with background-friendly employers. Features the ConflixAI matching algorithm that scores compatibility between a job seeker's criminal history and job duties in postings, Verified Hire badges for employers, and candidate search for employers. Free for job seekers; employers pay to post jobs and access candidates.
- Reentry Navigator A digital platform for reentry professionals, case managers, probation officers, and workforce staff to invite clients, track job search activity, view profiles and resumes, provide feedback, recommend jobs and resources, and monitor employment outcomes. Sold via tiered subscriptions.
- Reentry Planner A planning tool designed for currently incarcerated individuals to prepare for employment and reentry before release. Includes the Incarcerated Learner Workbook providing step-by-step job search guidance for individuals with criminal records.
- Fair Chance Employer Quarterly Report A digital download providing quarterly reports and insights on fair chance employment for employers. Sold as a one-time digital product at $99.
- Honest Jobs Merch Shop E-commerce storefront selling branded merchandise with fair chance employment messaging including t-shirts ($25), hoodies ($50-$59.99), mugs ($15-$20), stickers ($7), spiral notebooks ($20), and caps/beanies ($35).
Quantifiable outcome
- Job seekers find employment up to 7x faster
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Honest Jobs
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Honest Jobs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
Honest Jobs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- OrijincoreOrijin, a correctional education and workforce development technology company, acquired Honest Jobs in February 2026. The acquisition combines Orijin's education and vocational training programs with Honest Jobs' national employer network, creating a comprehensive pathway from incarceration to employment. Integration of the Honest Jobs platform into Orijin's managed learning system began immediately with phased enhancements throughout 2026. This creates the only comprehensive end-to-end pathway connecting incarceration to meaningful employment in the United States.
- Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Adult Probation DepartmentcoreHamilton County, Ohio Adult Probation Department deployed Honest Jobs' Reentry Navigator platform to support probationers in finding employment and improving community safety outcomes. This government partnership demonstrates platform deployment in a public sector context.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Honest Jobs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 70MillionJobs: Direct competitor operating a national fair-chance job platform serving formerly incarcerated job seekers with background-friendly employer postings. Closely mirrors Honest Jobs' core job board model and employer subscription model.
- JRI (Jobs for Recovery & Inclusion): Non-profit fair-chance employment platform connecting justice-involved job seekers with employers. Comparable mission, target population, and two-sided marketplace structure to Honest Jobs.
- Second Chance Business: Fair-chance hiring platform focused on connecting ex-offenders with employers committed to second-chance employment. Direct competitor in the same niche with similar employer subscription model.
- TargetCW: Staffing firm with a dedicated second-chance hiring division sourcing talent from correctional facilities. Comparable mission of placing justice-involved workers with employers, though operating more as a staffing agency than a SaaS marketplace.
Broad incumbents
- Checkr: Background check platform used by employers for hiring decisions, including fair-chance hiring. Adjacent because it influences whether justice-involved candidates get hired; complements rather than directly competes with Honest Jobs.
- ZipRecruiter: Large generalist job board that has invested in fair-chance hiring partnerships and filters. Indirectly competes for fair-chance employer job-posting spend and represents the dominant incumbent Honest Jobs would need to displace in the SMB segment.
- Indeed: Largest generalist job board with broad employer reach and ongoing fair-chance hiring initiatives. Represents the structural competitive backdrop Honest Jobs operates against for employer marketing dollars.
- LinkedIn: Global professional network with a broad job board that increasingly supports fair-chance hiring features and diversity sourcing. Competes indirectly for employer recruitment spend and represents the dominant professional identity layer.
Others
- Appriss Insights: Provider of risk and compliance intelligence to employers, including criminal records data. Adjacent infrastructure player in the broader fair-chance hiring ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Orijin: Correctional education and workforce development technology company that acquired Honest Jobs in February 2026. Now the parent company and closest integrated counterpart, combining in-facility education with the Honest Jobs employer network.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Honest Jobs social profiles
Digital presenceHonest Jobs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Honest Jobs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Honest Jobs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Honest Jobs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Honest Jobs
What does Honest Jobs do?
Honest Jobs operates a fair-chance employment platform that connects currently and formerly incarcerated job seekers with background-friendly employers through a proprietary ConflixAI matching algorithm. The platform is free for job seekers and monetizes via employer job postings, tiered Reentry Navigator subscriptions for case managers and probation officers, and branded merchandise sales. It also offers planning tools for incarcerated individuals preparing for reentry and integrations with reentry resource networks.
Is Honest Jobs a public or private company?
Honest Jobs is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Honest Jobs founded?
Honest Jobs was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Honest Jobs based?
Honest Jobs is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Honest Jobs make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Employer Job Postings are the primary driver. The others are reentry Navigator Subscriptions, merchandise Sales and digital Products.
Who are Honest Jobs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 70MillionJobs, JRI (Jobs for Recovery & Inclusion), Second Chance Business and TargetCW. Broad incumbents are Checkr, ZipRecruiter, Indeed and LinkedIn. Appriss Insights is listed as an others. Orijin is listed as an emerging player.
Does Honest Jobs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Honest Jobs.
What industry is Honest Jobs in?
Honest Jobs's product category is Fair-Chance Employment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAOAL, Digital Outplacement Platforms & Virtual Career Transition. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.