Over 50% of hiring managers have hired an applicant with a criminal record

October 12, 2012

Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, and a recent Career Builder survey suggests that 51% of human-resource managers reported that their organization has hired one of these individuals. The study included 2,298 U.S. hiring managers and human-resource professionals and was conducted between May 14 and June 4, 2012, and went on to ask  hiring managers to share what job seekers with criminal records can do to make themselves more marketable to employers. One key recommendation is “to own your past and focus on what you learned from it to grow professionally and personally,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, while other suggestions included:

  • Be upfront and honest about the conviction and stress what you learned from it — Suggested by 68 percent of HR managers surveyed
  • Be willing to work your way up — Suggested by 48 percent
  • Stay positive — Suggested by 46 percent
  • Prepare while you’re in prison (take classes, get a degree or participate in vocational training) — Suggested by 39 percent
  • Don’t apply to jobs where your record would automatically disqualify you — Suggested by 31 percent
  • Volunteer — Suggested by 31 percent
  • Take freelance or temporary assignments — Suggested by 26 percent
  • Consider joining the military — Suggested by 18 percent
  • Start your own business — Suggested by 16 percent
  • Monitor what is said on social media — Suggested by 13 percent
Employment screening While it’s clear that many hiring managers are happy to hire an applicant with a criminal record under the right circumstances, that certainly takes nothing away from the importance of implementing a thorough employment screening process – including (but not limited to such processes as) criminal background checks, drug screening, employment verification and resume checks. As an employer, you want to base your hiring decisions with full knowledge of the applicants involved, so ensure that you have a background screen policy in place and a pre-employment screening company on-board. Get in touch today to find out how to customize a program to suit you.  ]]>

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