A study from CareerBuilder of more than 2,000 hiring managers nationwide revealed 51 percent of Human Resource managers reported that their organizations have hired a job applicant with a criminal record. More information about the study conducted by Harris Interactive©, which also looked at what job applicants with criminal records can do to better their chances of getting hired, is available on CareerBuilder.com®, the largest online career site in the U.S., at: http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-3152-Job-Search-Half-of-employers-have-hired-someone-with-a-criminal-record/.  “The number one recommendation hiring managers have is to own your past and focus on what you learned from it to grow professionally and personally,” Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources, stated in a press release available at: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=9/27/2012&id=pr717&ed=9/27/2099. According to the study of 2,298 U.S. hiring managers and human-resource professionals conducted between May 14 and June 4, 2012, job applicants with criminal records can make themselves more marketable to employers by following these recommendations: 

  • 68 percent of hiring managers recommended being up front and honest about the conviction and stress what was learned from it.
  • 48 percent of hiring managers recommended being willing to work your way up.
  • 46 percent of hiring managers recommended staying positive.
  • 39 percent of hiring managers recommended preparing while in prison (taking classes, getting a degree, or vocational training).
  • 31 percent of hiring managers recommended not applying to jobs where a criminal record means automatically disqualification.
  • 31 percent of hiring managers recommended volunteering.
  • 26 percent of hiring managers recommended taking freelance or temporary assignments.
  • 18 percent of hiring managers recommended joining the military.
  • 16 percent of hiring managers recommended starting your own business.
  • 13 percent of hiring managers recommended monitoring what is said on social media.
According to figures from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics cited in a July 2011 meeting by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on ‘Arrest and Conviction Records as a Barrier to Employment,’ more than 92 million individuals have a criminal history on file in state databases. For more information, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/newsroom/testimony/2011/11_0726asolomon.pdf. In April 2012, the EEOC – the agency that enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination – voted to approve updated Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The complete text of the updated EEOC Guidance is available at http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm. To help employers comply with updated EEOC rules, Attorney Lester Rosen, Founder and CEO of background check firm Employment Screening Resources (ESR), has written a whitepaper: ‘Practical Steps Employers Can Take to Comply with New EEOC Criminal Record Guidance’. The complimentary whitepaper is undergoing a controlled release and is available to employers interested in screening by emailing [email protected]. For information about criminal background checks as part of a Safe Hiring Program, visit Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority’ and a nationwide background screening firm accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) – at https://www.esrcheck.com/, call Toll Free 888.999.4474, or email [email protected]. Sources: http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-3152-Job-Search-Half-of-employers-have-hired-someone-with-a-criminal-record/ http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=9/27/2012&id=pr717&ed=9/27/2099 About Employment Screening Resources (ESR): Founded by safe hiring expert Attorney Les Rosen in 1997, Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check AuthoritySM’– provides accurate and actionable information that empowers employers to make informed hiring decisions for the benefit of their organizations, employees, and the public. CEO Rosen literally wrote the book on background checks with “The Safe Hiring Manual” and ESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), a distinction held by a small percent of screening firms. Employers choosing ESR know they have selected an agency meeting the highest industry standards. To learn more, visit https://www.esrcheck.com, call 888.999.4474, or email [email protected]. About ESR News: The Employment Screening Resources (ESR) News blog – ESR News – provides employment screening information for employers, recruiters, and jobseekers on a variety of topics including credit reports, criminal records, data privacy, discrimination, E-Verify, jobs reports, legal updates, negligent hiring, workplace violence, and use of search engines and social network sites for background checks. For more information about ESR News or to send comments or questions, please email ESR News Editor Thomas Ahearn at [email protected]. To subscribe to the complimentary ESRcheck Report monthly newsletter, please visit https://www.esrcheck.com/Newsletter/.]]>

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