Not all people with a criminal record are bad individuals that businesses should avoid employing, but that record will make it difficult to find a job. It just means that there are a few extra steps and factors, as highlighted below, that need to be considered when hiring someone with a criminal record.
What Convictions Are In Question?
When you are considering hiring someone with a criminal record, one of the first few things that you should be considering is what the candidate has on their record in terms of convictions. A criminal record can include anything on a wide spectrum of offences. Some offences are severe and arguably dangerous, while others may be more of misdemeanour types of charges. An individual doesn’t need to be denied employment over trivial accusations and convictions like trespassing unless that is something that would prove detrimental to the job performance and safety.
What Is The Job?
With information regarding the candidates criminal record in hand, you can use that to help determine if they are still qualified for the open position in your company. You can then take the information from the criminal records and connect that with what the job entails and how that may be affected. If the criminal conviction is of a more serious case, they may not be the ideal candidates for your business. Someone who may have anger issues that have led to something along the lines of assault would not be the best candidate to work in highly stressful environments and with other people. You would not want to hire convicted sexual offenders if your job requires you to be around and in charge of children. You have to put the information regarding criminal history in the context of the job you are hiring for.
How Long Ago Were Their Offenses?
The understanding of incarceration is that it is there to help individuals who have done wrong to adjust to society. A certain amount of time may have passed after their convictions and they are looking to apply for work at your company. If the crimes occurred a long time ago with enough years removed from the event, convictions won’t all show on your criminal record. As an employer, you can do different types of checks to investigate a person’s history. There is the basic check that won’t have as much detail and won’t show convictions that have been served, while an Enhanced Check would provide the details of convictions, regardless of whether they have been spent or not. This may be important, again, depending on the job and industry in question and the employers. It is up to you how in-depth you want your background checks to be.
What Are Your Risks As A Company?
Interviewing and considering someone to work in your company with a criminal record can come with a lot of different risks. As mentioned, this all relates to what they have done and what the job is. Some of the risks in question relate to the business assets, and your customers and clients, but you may also be putting your other employees at risk. Additionally, if it is made aware by the public that you have hired someone with a criminal record, your company and brand image may be at risk as well. Of course, this is all situational, and as long as it is handled delicately, it should not compromise your interview process for the right person.
Are You Denying Equal Opportunity?
Having a criminal record is difficult for individuals that are trying to return to society and function as an individual with a job. It may be a black mark that is hard to get rid of, and ultimately these individuals have to learn how to move forward with the challenges. As difficult as it may be to get past the stigma of hiring someone with a criminal record, you need to make sure that you, the employer, are not denying someone equal opportunity simply based on this information. You may be overstepping over certain legal boundaries and if you do so, could put your company in jeopardy of legal actions taken against you. If you are in the process of considering hiring someone with a criminal record, you need to take the proper steps through the investigation to ensure you abide by all the laws.
When hiring someone with a criminal record, you may be coming into the process with some hesitation. Or perhaps you are confident in the opportunity to give someone a second chance. Regardless of your mindset, you need to keep a few things in mind when dealing with the hiring process and a candidate with a criminal record.