Second chance hiring of job candidates with criminal records may provide benefits for both candidates and companies. The best way to see this through is to have a screening process that eliminates employment barriers based on eligible expungable or sealable criminal records. Expungement refers to erasing certain criminal records, while sealing a records typically means that the record still exists in the criminal justice system but isn’t accessible to the general public. It is important for human resource professionals learn the expungement and sealing laws of the state, establish a standard policy on hiring individuals with expunged or sealed records, and evaluate how the background screening procedures are affecting the company’s workforce.
