background check evaluation

Francie

Does anyone have some standard selective criteria used when evaluating background screen reports? We will be looking at each applicant's screen on a case by case basis but I am looking for some common criteria to be used such as violence convictions inorder to ensure consistency in our procedures.

Don D

I don't recommend you box yourself in by adopting a strict, no-wiggle policy of not hiring anybody with a conviction record or even a certain type of conviction record. For example, in some manufacturing environments and most labor intensive environments, I would not think it in the best interest of the employer to screen OUT anybody with any sort of record. I don't mean to imply that employees in these occupations are prone to commit crimes or have records; but, it would be penny-wise and pound foolish to exclude all of the candidates who had a record of any sort. Some companies do that and severely draw-down their candidate pool. Obviously, with any accounting department candidates your process should automatically red-flag applicants who have a 'hit' on the conviction check unless the 'hit' was for something not remotely connected with honesty, such as a DUI 30 years ago or a misdeameanor in college, for example. A Junior who gets drunk (not driving) after the biggest college football game of the year and steps outside his apartment to flip the steaks potentially carries a 'PUBLIC DRUNK' record for the rest of his entire life! Ten days before he's 21, he can get it expunched. Ten days after he's 21, he can't. How fair is that? Be cognizant that if you have traveling sales people who you send into Canada, many crimes considered misdemeanors or expungements in the USA will forever be a felony 'hit' at the Canadian border. Again, don't box yourself in by coming up with a matrix. Judge each situation in its totality and applicability to the job opening.