Internal Assessment
These eight questions are designed to provide a baseline assessment of your organization’s Fair Chance employment practices. The following page offers customized recommendations to update your hiring & background screening practices based on your responses.
At what point do you learn about a candidate’s conviction history?
We require a disclosure on our job application
We ask the candidate during the interview or hiring process
We learn through our background screening process, after a conditional offer of employment has been made
Never. We do not consider conviction history in our hiring process.
Unsure / None of the above
At what point do you learn about a candidate’s conviction history?:
What records does your organization consider during a background check?
All records, including arrest records and juvenile records
Only adult arrest and conviction records
Only adult conviction records
Unsure / None of the above
What records does your organization consider during a background check?:
Does your organization automatically disqualify candidates with certain conviction types?
Yes, there are specific records we do not consider based on company policy
We automatically disqualify convictions that we cannot consider due to federal, state, or industry regulations
No, we review every potentially relevant record on a case-by-case basis
Unsure / None of the above
Does your organization automatically disqualify candidates with certain conviction types?:
Does your company limit your background screening results to a specific time period?
No, we review candidates’ full history unless state or local laws mandate otherwise
Yes, we limit our searches to ten years or less
Yes, we limit our searches to seven years or less
Unsure / None of the above
Does your company limit your background screening results to a specific time period?:
Does your company automatically advance any conviction types that you pre-assess as non-relevant to your jobs?
No, we review all background check results for all positions
Yes, there are certain records we automatically qualify for all positions
Yes, we use a matrix to pre-qualify different records for different job categories based on their relevance
Unsure / None of the above
Does your company automatically advance any conviction types that you pre-assess as non-relevant to your jobs?:
When a record is flagged for potential disqualification, how do you communicate with candidates?
We remove the candidate from the process and/or notify them of their disqualification
We send a pre-adverse action letter with an opportunity to review findings and share further information
We reach out proactively to invite the candidate to participate in an individualized assessment (this may be in addition to sending a pre-adverse action letter)
Unsure / None of the above
When a record is flagged for potential disqualification, how do you communicate with candidates? :
How does your organization conduct individualized assessments for candidates with potentially disqualifying convictions?
https://assessment.envoy.us/fairchance
Note: an individualized assessment is an opportunity to gain deeper context on the specific circumstances of a candidate’s arrest or conviction record, and/or their experience reintegrating into the workforce.
We do not conduct individualized assessments
We review responses to the pre-adverse action letter to inform an individualized assessment
We engage candidates through a separate interview or written process, asking consistent questions that deepen our context about their conviction record
Unsure / None of the above
How does your organization conduct individualized assessments for candidates with potentially disqualifying convictions? Note: an individualized assessment is an opportunity to gain deeper context on the specific circumstances of a candidate’s arrest or conviction record, and/or their experience reintegrating into the workforce.:
Does your organization proactively recruit and/or support candidates with past conviction records?
No
Yes, we receive job applicants from organizations that train or place candidates with records
Yes, we have strong relationships with organizations serving people with records, including vetted referrals to our job openings and/or post-employment retention supports.
Unsure / None of the above
Does your organization proactively recruit and/or support candidates with past conviction records?
Analysis & Recommendations
Disclosures: Consider waiting until after a conditional offer of employment has been made before asking about a candidate’s conviction history. This allows candidates with convictions to compete for the job on a level playing field without being disadvantaged by their past record.
Background Check Results: Consider asking your background check provider to remove arrest records and juvenile records from their reporting. This aligns with Fair Chance best practices and ensures compliance with many state and local ordinances.
Automatic Disqualifications: Consider minimizing or eliminating any automatic disqualifications and ensure every candidate with a potentially relevant conviction record receives an individualized assessment.
Look-back Periods: Research shows that candidates who are 3-7 years removed from their conviction pose a similar risk to people with no conviction history. Consider asking your background check provider to limit (or further limit) how far back in a candidate’s conviction history they report.
Job Relevance: Different job categories carry different risk factors when it comes to evaluating past convictions. Job functions like driving, caring for vulnerable populations, and handling sensitive information may be particularly relevant to certain conviction types. Consider reviewing your job categories and identifying any conviction types that you can pre-qualify as non-relevant for each job type. Where possible, ask your background check provider to eliminate non-relevant convictions from their report.
Candidate Communications: If a conviction is flagged for review, consider reaching out to the candidate proactively to invite them to provide further context. Direct outreach from your team increases the likelihood that they will stay engaged in the process.
Individualized Assessment: For potentially disqualified candidates, consider developing a consistent assessment template, delivered through an interview or written format, to learn and document the context of a candidate’s conviction(s) and their evidence of success returning to the workforce. Individualized assessments provide a more complete picture of the relevance of a candidate’s conviction record to the job they are applying for and help justify your decision to hire or disqualify.
Talent Partnerships: Consider identifying and engaging organizations in your community that prepare and support jobseekers with past conviction records. These partnerships can bring your company a vetted pipeline of candidates and support your employees’ long-term success.
These recommendations are provided for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Consult your counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.
https://assessment.envoy.us/fairchance
