What to Do If Your Applicant Has A Criminal History?
When hiring a new employee, their criminal background check is one of the most important verifications. Undoubtedly, the criminal record plays a significant role in the hiring process. However, employers often find the right employee with the proper skill set, required work experience, relevant education, motivation, and matching visions with the company but the only thing that makes them not consider the applicant is their past criminal records.
So what should you do as a hiring manager in such a situation? What if your potential employee has all the qualifications but also has a criminal record? Is there some way to manage this as an employer? Read the following article for more information on the criminal background check process.
Factors To Consider When Hiring An Applicant With Criminal Record
The Severity Of The Crime:
The first thing that you need to consider is how serious the offense is. Knowing the severity of the crime will serve as the first step in deciding to take the recruiting process further or not. By looking into the nature of the crime, you will know whether or not the candidate will be a liability to your business. Or a threat to your current employees. If you are considering hiring an employee who has a past charge of petty theft this may not be as alarming as if they had a past charge of grand larceny. Either way, an employee with a criminal record is not ideal but some crimes have less severity than others.
Type Of Company:
Along with the severity, the second most important thing is the type of business you are hiring for. Depending upon the nature of the business, the criminal history can play a different role. If you hire a commercial truck driver who has a criminal history of DUI or reckless driving, you may have to reconsider this employee. In contrast, if you hire someone for the communication manager position, then DUI should not be of much concern for the position.
The Duration:
You have to consider how long ago the applicant was convicted of the crime. Criminal records are not ideal for a new employee; however, people do change with time. If they just committed the crime that may set a bigger red flag than if they committed a crime over 7 years ago. Therefore, consider the last time they were charged with the crime.
Interview & References:
The most powerful tactic to learn more about an applicant is the in-person interview. The hiring manager can ask questions and watch body language of how the applicant answers. These interviews can help the hiring manager determine if they can trust the applicant. The applicant may have a criminal record from a long time ago for a harmless offense. The hiring manager can make the decision on if they feel comfortable hiring the applicant still.
The next step after the interview would be to call the references listed. Professional references can help determine if an applicant is really trustworthy and a hard worker. Having an applicant that is perfectly qualified for an open role and has great references that speak highly of the applicant can be an easy decision. However, with a criminal record it makes it a little more difficult. Each applicant should be looked at on a case by case basis.
Ban The Box is a campaign for employers to stop asking questions regarding a candidate’s criminal history on job application forms. This does not mean they cannot ask about past criminal records later in the hiring process. Criminal Background Checks are usually completed between the final interview and the job offer.
More Info On Criminal Background Checks
Everyone has made such mistakes in the past that cannot be removed from their history. Nonetheless, if the applicant has learned through their bad experience and is ready to correct them, then why not give them a chance to work as an employee for your organization. Again, these should all be taken on a case by case basis. Some organizations do not want to hire anyone with a criminal record. However, sometimes you may be rejecting a great employee based on a minor and negotiable criminal record.
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