Executives looking to hire new talent might want to consider ex-convicts who are now on the hunt for jobs.

Researchers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University looked at companies who hired ex-offenders for sales and customer services jobs in the United States, and found a few surprises.

It seems that ex-convicts who get hired aren’t any more likely to be fired than non-offenders and are 13 percent less likely to quit. In other words, companies that hire them and take a chance see lower turnover costs, according to the recent Kellogg Insight piece, which draws on a vast archive of research from multiple Kellogg School professors.

As well, hiring an ex-offender can help keep that person a productive member of society, reducing the likelihood of a repeat offense.

Still, there are risks. The professors’ research found that ex-convicts hired for sales positions were 28 percent more likely to be fired for misconduct.

The full piece, “Tips for Widening – and Improving – Your Candidate Pool,” can be found here.