Apex communications company LiveSwitch is gearing up for a major hiring binge, saying it plans to bring on about 100 new employees through a second chance program that will consider applicants with criminal records. If the company follows through, the expansion would roughly double its local workforce by the end of the year and further cement its growing footprint in downtown Apex.
LiveSwitch Plans 100 New Hires Through Second Chance Initiative
According to reporting from the Triangle Business Journal, LiveSwitch intends to fill 100 positions through a second chance employment program that explicitly includes candidates with criminal records. The outlet notes that the hiring wave, if completed, would effectively double the company’s headcount by the close of the year.
Downtown Highline HQ Becomes Hiring Engine
LiveSwitch recently bought the Highline building on Salem Street and has started rebranding the downtown spot as its global headquarters, positioning the space as a recruiting magnet in a company announcement on LiveSwitch. Company leaders said the Highline’s central downtown location gives employees quick access to restaurants, shops, and other amenities. Town officials have cheered the investment as another step in Apex’s evolution into a regional tech hub.
Second Chance Philosophy Baked Into Leadership
LiveSwitch chairman Brian Hamilton has long championed efforts to help people with criminal records reenter the job market, including the "Inmates to Entrepreneurs" program and the ABC show "Free Enterprise." Spectrum News has reported that LiveSwitch has previously hired people who were formerly incarcerated through those efforts. That track record helps explain why the company is deliberately opening this latest hiring push to applicants with criminal histories.
Why Second Chance Hiring May Pencil Out
Researchers and workplace experts say second chance hiring can deliver both social benefits and solid business outcomes. MIT Sloan has reported that employers adopting these practices often see higher job fill rates and reduced turnover. LiveSwitch’s own Lunchbox Survey this spring found that most small business respondents were actively hiring and that labor shortages ranked among their top headaches, underscoring why companies might be motivated to broaden their applicant pools.
If LiveSwitch moves ahead as planned, the 100 openings would rank among the largest recent tech hiring rounds tied to downtown Apex and could give Triangle employers a high profile example of what second chance hiring looks like in practice. Details on specific roles and timelines have not yet been spelled out as the company settles into the Highline and ramps up local recruitment.
