By: Christine Cunneen, CEO, Hire Image
As the country continues to face increasing measures to put the formerly incarcerated back to work despite their past convictions, it must be balanced with (1) the legitimate concerns of the community as crime rates skyrocket and (2) the needs of employers to protect their businesses, other employees, and customers.
Employers must now consider not only if the person they are hiring has a long history of criminal propensities, but also if that candidate is even the same person he or she claims to be. Concerns that this candidate who may have been reported as “clear” may still have criminal background plague employers, and justifiably so. Recent recidivism statistics show that within three years of release, two out of three former prisoners are rearrested* (with more than 50% re-incarcerated).
To help alleviate this challenge, employers should get better acquainted with their background screening provider’s options and processes. Asking what additional searches their provider recommends for a more complete picture of their applicants is a great start. Specifically, they should explore options surrounding social media searches, professional references, and employment verifications. Equally as important is discovering how their provider clears a record if it could be their candidate but lacks identifiers. What additional steps does the provider take to ensure it isn’t their ‘John Smith?’
