Skip to main content

Tell Me Now or Tell Me Later?

Survey Says: Tell Me Now or Tell Me Later? Do You Have A Criminal Record?

Published on 04 April 2013 by in Compliance, Criminal Records, Trends
0
survey report
Last month, we released our official 2013 Employment Background Check Trends Survey report. The report includes findings from nearly 1,000 Human Resources professionals in various industries across the United States, who responded to our survey on background checks for employment at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013.
One of the questions we asked was if their organization asks candidates to self-disclose past criminal history on their job applications.
Despite the guidance issued by the EEOC in April of 2012—recommending that employers should not ask candidates about convictions on job applications—79% of respondents say they are continuing to do so (see chart below). Only 9% say they do not ask candidates for self-disclosure. However, the EEOC’s guidance did open up a bit of gray area, as it said that employers who do inquire about criminal convictions on job applications should limit their inquiries “to convictions that are job-related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity.”
The guidance opens up continued debate on the subject, and the results show that employers continue to put a high value on criminal record self- disclosure at the application stage of hiring. It is important to note that some employers in regulated industries simply can’t hire those with any or specific types of criminal records. As employers search for qualified talent, they will have to continue to balance fair treatment of candidates against their own need to make informed hiring decisions.








Some Tips Regarding Applicant Self-Disclosure
  • Make sure you understand and consider the EEOC guidance on this subject. It doesn’t mean that you have to change your practices, but you should be informed.
  • Make sure that there are no state or local laws that prevent you from asking the question on your job application; so-called “Ban the Box” laws.
  • If you choose to remove the question from your application, don’t forget to ask it later in the hiring process

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Employment Background Checks May Sharpen Your Recruitment Efforts 08/14/2018 Employment background checks were once considered a luxury among small business owners — a practice worth pursuing, but not essential to the recruiting and hiring process. In today's heated battle for talent, pre-employment background checks have taken on a new urgency. Background checks offer clear benefits to employers, which may include: Hiring high-caliber candidates. Seeing reduced employee turnover (along with related expenses). Limiting exposure to claims of negligent hiring practices. "A thorough background check helps employers find quality talent, while flagging issues that could cost the company money or their reputation," notes Catherine Aldrich, vice president of operations, a leading provider of background screening services. "Landing top talent quickly is critical in a competitive job market, but it is just as important to ensure that t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Drug Testing is Important?

Why Drug Testing Is Important September 28, 2015 TDT Although many aspects of society are harmed by illicit drug use and abuse, it is especially detrimental in the workplace. Not only can it lower the productivity and revenue of a business, but it can also place employees at risk. In fact, depending on the line of work, the drug abuse of an employee could have fatal consequences. Luckily, employers these days are able to test for illicit drug use and implement strategies to pursue drug-free workplaces. Today we’re discussing why drug testing is important and how to employ it effectively. Why Drug Testing Is Important Safety. Drug use can impair a person’s judgment and increase safety risks. This is especially concerning in certain industries, such as construction, in which using drugs or alcohol at work could cause an injury or even a fatality. As employee drug abuse causes as much as 50% of all on-the-job accidents (source), this is not a matter to be taken...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Resume Lie Will Come Back to Haunt You.....

Just Ask NCAA Basketball Coach Steve Masiello Published on 28 March 2014 by Lauren Conners ,                               A little resume lie never hurt anyone…right? Tell that to Steve Masiello, most recently a coach at Manhattan College, now on leave due to a potential discrepancy on his resume. It’s been 14 years since he supposedly graduated with a degree in Communications from the University of Kentucky, where he played for the Wildcats from 1996-2000. While being screened for a coaching position at the University of South Florida, they conducted a resume verification on Masiello and inevitably discovered that he did not earn the degree listed on his resume. This discrepancy could be a blatant lie or perhaps a misunderstanding, but either way keep reading to find out how this discrepancy remained hidden for so long. Importanc...
Post a Comment
Read more