Employer attitudes about criminal histories.

Abstract

Employers' reported reasons for having hired individuals with felony convictions provide a framework to help jobseekers improve their prospects for favorable hiring decisions. Employers suggested that relationships with employment specialists can also facilitate the hiring of applicants with felonies.

Employer Perceptions of Hiring Juveniles With Criminal Records

“…Work qualifications, including previous work experience, educational attainment, job skills, and “soft skills,” partially mitigate social stigmatization and increase the employability of formerly incarcerated individuals (Varghese et al, 2010). One study (Swanson et al, 2012) found that 42% of employers who had previously hired an individual convicted of a crime cited that their qualifications for the job were the primary factor influencing their hiring decision. Another study (Haslewood-Pócsik et al, 2008) found that possessing relevant job skills were “very important” or “important” for 98% of the employers surveyed; education was “very important” or “important” for 72% of employers; professional qualifications, like certifications, were “very important” or “important” to 65% of employers; but personal attributes were almost as high as job skills.…”

“…Another study (Haslewood-Pócsik et al, 2008) found that possessing relevant job skills were “very important” or “important” for 98% of the employers surveyed; education was “very important” or “important” for 72% of employers; professional qualifications, like certifications, were “very important” or “important” to 65% of employers; but personal attributes were almost as high as job skills. Personal attributes or qualities include honesty, reliability, and punctuality (Swanson et al, 2012), many of the traits included in “soft skill” instruction.…”

Bridge to Opportunities: How One Probation Agency Developed a Program Designed to Connect Probationers to High-Wage Jobs

“…These can include both personal barriers (e.g., low levels of educational attainment, limited work experience, low skill levels), and employer concerns about productivity, reliability, and risk (Hillyer, 2016;Swanson, Langfitt-Reese, and Bond, 2012). Figure 3 illustrates some of these personal (or labor supply) characteristics and employer (or labor demand) barriers.…”

Redeemed Compared to Whom?

“…Research suggests that criminal background checks are used during the hiring process by nearly 50% of all firms in the United States (Holzer, Raphael, and Stoll, ), with that number at almost 80% for the nation's largest companies (Burke, ). This now common use of background checks has created a public concern that a substantial proportion of the American workforce is being excluded from important employment opportunities (Appelbaum, ; Harris and Keller, ; Rodriguez and Emsellem, ; Swanson, Langfitt‐Reese, and Bond, ). In response, policy makers have attempted to create a balance between the needs of employers and individuals with criminal records.…”