Back to Basics, Blog
Incarceration rates in the U.S. have soared lately. Between 70 to 100 million Americans have a criminal record, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. That criminal record can follow an individual for a long time, making them feel the effects long after they’ve served their sentence.
Those who need a second chance deserve steady employment to gain a feeling of financial stability, support themselves and their families, and feel like a contributing member of society. All of this helps lower recidivism rates and keep individuals from re-entering the prison system.
Having a criminal record exhibits a unique set of employment difficulties. Because of their criminal history, individuals are regularly ruled out for job opportunities, even when they’re qualified. Those who need a second chance are less likely to be asked for an interview.
If you’re not familiar with fair chance hiring and are considering implementing this into your company, this guide should help you comprehend what goes into the process, the advantages that stem from it, and how you can begin today.
What is Fair Chance Hiring?
Fair chance hiring is based on the reason that everybody, regardless of their background, has the right to be fairly evaluated for a job they are qualified for.
Organizations that practice fair chance hiring can take advantage of a bigger pool of qualified, diverse talent with a broad scope of experiences, better comprehend their customers and reach stronger business outcomes.
What are the advantages of Fair Chance Hiring?
Fair chance hiring allows for a more diverse and inclusive environment. The discussion around diversity and inclusion shouldn’t stop at race, gender, or sexual orientation. To create an inclusive workplace, the conversation needs to extend to those with criminal records. Refusing to hire job candidates with criminal backgrounds has an unintended effect on minority applicants. This makes it significantly more challenging to assemble a genuinely diverse and inclusive workplace.
By embracing fair chance hiring policies, you extend your potential candidate pool to a mostly untapped group of diverse, talented, and eager workers. With the job market being so competitive, applicants can wait and choose between multiple job offers prolonging the hiring process. Those who need a second chance often have a difficult time finding work, so you’re far less likely to deal with a drawn-out hiring process. This makes it easier for you to grow your organization in today’s competitive employment market.
Fair chance hiring offers a significant return on investment, both from a performance and retention perspective. According to a SHRM survey, 80 percent of managers surveyed feel the value workers with criminal records bring to the organization is just as high or higher than that of workers without records. Anytime you’re hiring; it’s an investment. However, when practicing fair chance hiring, you’re likely to get a better return on that investment.
How do I incorporate Fair Chance Hiring into my hiring process?
Having a criminal record doesn’t mean an individual is irresponsible, immoral, or likely to take part in illegal activity in the future. When working with a candidate, make it a point to see where they are today. They’ve already assumed responsibility for their actions and fulfilled their legal obligations. What matters now is that they’re qualified, prepared, and have the assets to be effective in the job.
Before you start interviewing job applicants, it’s important to distinguish any convictions that are relevant to the position or organization that would cause a candidate to be disqualified from the hiring process. And if an applicant falls outside of those restrictions? They should get as much of a fair chance to be employed for that position as any other person.
How do I get my current employees on-board to Fair Chance Hiring?
Ensure your company knows and comprehends why you’re supporting fair chance hiring practices. Make it a pillar of your organization’s missions and values. The more you open the discussion about fair chance hiring, the more you’ll normalize it, and it will be understood by your company.
A criminal record is a barrier for qualified, devoted applicants in finding employment and an obstacle for companies looking to create diverse teams. By adopting fair chance practices, you’re offering opportunities for financial stability, career advancement, and a sense of purpose for millions of Americans that deserve a fair chance.
To learn more, check out our Fair Chance Handbook.
Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® can take your employee onboarding process to the next level.
This article gives a general overview of the legal matters. However, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all the relevant federal, state, and local laws governing this area. SELECTiON.COM® does not provide legal advice, and we always suggest consulting your own legal counsel for all applicant approval matters.
Blog, Employee Spotlight
Chelsea Mehbod has been a valued member of SELECTiON.COM® since 2017. Here’s a little more about her:
Favorite part of working at SELECTiON.COM® My favorite part is all the amazing friends I have made at SELECTiON.COM®.
Favorite Food
Potatoes of any kind
Favorite Quote
“Never suppress a generous thought.” -Camilla E. Kimball
Bucket List Item:
Ride an elephant
Fun Fact
I was born during a full moon.
Blog
When searching the pool of job candidates, finding the right person is not always an easy task. One essential piece of the hiring process is running a background check. Ninety-six percent of employers run background checks on candidates, according to a PBSA national survey.
It is a critical part of recruitment and onboarding. When searching for a candidate, you want to make sure they are the right fit, and there isn’t anything in their background that could be a risk to your organization.
Here are some simple tips to keep in mind when running background checks.
Include candidates in the process
The candidate must understand why they are consenting to a background check. Transparency is essential when you’re running a background check. This allows you to continue establishing a relationship with the candidate while remaining compliant with the law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires employers to obtain the applicant’s consent before running a background check. The release form for the background check must stand-alone and be separate from the employment application.
Know what you want out of a background check
You should know beforehand what background check you are running. Also, understand why the background check is needed. Look at your industry and the job requirements to determine what type of background check should be run. There are numerous types to choose from, but make sure you are only running reports that are vital for the job.
For example, if you are hiring someone who will be driving a company car, then you should run a Motor Vehicle report. We recommend that you apply the same standards to everyone, based on the job description. It’s illegal to check the background of applicants when that decision is based on a person’s race, natural origin, color, sex, religion, disability, genetic information, or age. Blanket hiring practices often lead to unintentional disparate impact. Disparate impact refers to employment policies that have an unintended and adverse effect on members of a protected class, even if the policy’s language seems neutral. Have a conversation with your legal team about your hiring process and see how background checks best fit.
Use a third-party background screening provider
Contact a third-party background screening provider to run the background checks for your company. Don’t rely on a Google search or look up a candidate on Facebook. These searches are not enough and do not show the whole picture of the candidate. Although this will require a budget, your company will receive quality background check reports.
Don’t automatically reject candidates with a record
Make sure that you are giving all candidates an equal chance. Best practice is to not immediately disqualify a candidate from a job because of a hit on their record. You could be missing out on a dedicated, hard-working employee, because of a criminal record that is unrelated to the job. Work with your legal counsel to define what types of criminal records will disqualify an applicant for each position. Use the information on the background check to make an informed, thoughtful decision.
Be open with communication
Whatever you find on the background check report, be open with your candidate. If a question arises, ask them. Keep the conversation going. There are many reasons why an issue can occur, so be comfortable speaking about the process with the candidate. If you choose not to hire the applicant, based on any reason in whole or part of the background check, then you must send a Pre-Adverse Letter, copy of their background check and consumer rights. Wait five business days to mail an Adverse Action letter to allow the applicant time to dispute the claim. You don’t want to miss out on a fantastic employee in the future because you didn’t ask the candidate about something in their background check.
Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® can take your employment background check process to the next level.
This article gives a general overview of the legal matters. However, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all the relevant federal, state, and local laws governing this area. SELECTiON.COM® does not provide legal advice, and we always suggest consulting your own legal counsel for all applicant approval matters.
Blog
At SELECTiON.COM®, we have received many questions from hiring managers about criminal record requests over the years. As an expert in criminal record research, you can count on us to have the answers you need.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common questions we receive when it comes to criminal record research.
Do all county courts deliver the same information?
No. There are over 3,000 jurisdictions nationwide that each has its own system. Every county has its own procedure for handling public record access. While many allow online access to their public records, some counties still use ledger books or microfilm for storage of their court records. Even when electronic records are available, additional details sometimes need to be obtained directly from the courthouse by our well-trained researches to hand-search dockets, gather information from an on-site portal, or request information from clerk personnel.
Why do some searches take longer than others?
Turnaround times for public record research can be impacted by several factors, including the availability of records and the lookback period. Also, not all criminal data is available digitally, which causes variances in turnaround times from county to county. The research time can be delayed when there is a “hit” on a record, and the researcher needs additional time to verify the record further. Many courts have restricted or redacted personally identifiable information such as date-of-birth, from public indexes, requiring extra time to confirm that records belong to a specific person.
How far back do criminal record searches go?
Typically, employers go back seven-years, although some states go back further. Each state has its restrictions. In several states, reporting dismissed cases is limited to seven years from the date of disposition. Some states prohibit the reporting of certain types of non-convictions or convictions.
How do you perform the research?
It is essential to have an experienced team of researchers with a well-established quality program. It is also necessary to have procedures in place that allow the organization to understand what information is available at the court levels, whether it’s accessible online or in-person. Public record research and criminal record research are both vital for background screening and require a high level of specialization and experience.
At SELECTiON.COM®, we have a nationwide network of court researchers to complete the thousands of requests we receive in a day. The researchers transcribe criminal records into our Fastrax® system, so it is readily available for our in-house team. The records are then sent to our quality assurance team for final review.
Contact us today to see how SELECTiON.COM® can take your employment background check process to the next level.
This article gives a general overview of the legal matters. However, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all the relevant federal, state, and local laws governing this area. SELECTiON.COM® does not provide legal advice, and we always suggest consulting your own legal counsel for all applicant approval matters.
Blog
We are excited to announce that the BCI and FBI fingerprint hours at our conveniently located Tri-County office are extending into the evening. By lengthening our hours, it allows a more significant window for applicants and volunteers to be fingerprinted.
Our Tri-County location will continue to be open for walk-ins from 8 AM- 4:45 PM, Monday through Friday. Beginning November 4th, we will add additional appointment only hours from 4:45 PM-6 PM. Applicants can call 513-522-8764 ext. 3034 for booking or use the online booking system on our website under Fingerprint Services.
“We are constantly listening to what our clients want, and then analyzing our services to serve them better,” said James Boeddeker, SELECTiON.COM® President. “The extension of hours allows us to serve our clients better and in doing so, provides much needed extra time for individuals to make their way in for fingerprints.”
We also offer mobile fingerprint sessions for clients. We will travel on-site to provide fingerprint services for parties of ten or more for a fee, or parties of twenty or more at no cost.
Founded in 1991, SELECTiON.COM® is one of the nation’s leading providers of pre-employment background screening services. We offer the largest network of in-house researchers, the fastest turnaround on criminal background checks and drug screening, and unsurpassed customer service. The average turnaround time on criminal background searches is two business days. Thousands of employers nationwide rely on SELECTiON.COM® to help them make smart hiring decisions.
