In today's job market, criminal record less important than employment record

In the face of a growing workforce shortage as more baby boomers retire, the vast majority of employers are open to hiring people with criminal records, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management in conjunction with the Charles Koch Institute.

Among the survey’s respondents, 74 percent of managers and 84 percent of HR professionals nationwide said they were willing or open to hiring individuals with a criminal record.

“Workplaces are transforming quickly, and talent strategies must evolve along with them,” says SHRM president and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. “Organizations can no longer grow without tapping into the reservoirs of potential talent hidden in our communities. In many industries, accessing human capital is now harder than accessing financial capital, so it is a mistake to exclude vetted, qualified candidates because of their source.”

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Just 14 percent of HR professionals say they would be unwilling to hire those with criminal records, according to the survey. Concerns about doing so center around legal liability, customer and employee reactions and regulations, and less on whether these individuals can perform well on the job. Factors that would increase willingness to hire from this group include confirmation of an applicant’s consistent work history and the completion of additional education or training after conviction.

“HR professionals are well positioned to provide counsel and generate a tailored set of best practice principles that will benefit both the business and the individuals seeking a second chance,” says Vikrant Reddy, senior research fellow at CKI. “If individuals with a criminal record can be considered for employment based on their talent and skills, the benefits for the business—and society—are far-reaching.”

Other key findings include:

• 82 percent of managers and 67 percent of HR professionals feel that the “quality of hire” for workers with criminal records is as high as or higher than that for workers without records.
• 74 percent of both managers and HR believe the cost of hiring individuals with criminal records is the same as or lower than that of hiring individuals without criminal records.
• Top reasons for hiring workers with criminal records include a desire to hire the best candidate for the job regardless of criminal history, making the community a better place, and giving individuals a second chance.
• Large proportions of employees are willing to work with individuals with criminal records. Among managers, 55 percent are willing, 15 percent are unwilling, and 29 percent fall in between. Among non-managers, 51 percent are willing, 13 percent are unwilling, and 36 percent say they are neither willing nor unwilling. Among HR professionals, 47 percent are willing, 8 percent are unwilling, and 41 percent select neither.
• 46 percent of HR professionals report that their company’s initial employment application includes an item about criminal history, and 73 percent say their company conducts criminal background checks on applicants.
• While more than two-thirds (68 percent) of HR professionals are familiar with the “ban-the-box” campaign, only 14 percent of managers and 9 percent of non-managers say the same.
• Although 93 percent of HR professionals are sure of their companies’ position hiring workers with criminal records, 32 percent report that their organization chooses not to have a policy. 27 percent of managers and 51 percent of non-managers are unsure whether their company has a formal or informal policy regarding the hiring of workers with a criminal record. In some organizations, the hiring of workers with criminal records may be a part of the culture which does not require specific policies.
• Many employees, including 51 percent of HR professionals, are unsure whether a current employee at their company would be terminated if convicted of a felony.