Would you touch this candidate with a 10 foot pole?

Hello all.

I enjoy listening in on your conversations here and, as a resume writer, I greatly value and have learned much from your discussions. Thank you!

If I may, I'd like to know how you recruiters would feel if you came across this client of mine. He's a database administrator with a diverse background with corporate companies. Not a rock star, but a solid track record.

THE PROBLEM: He has a felony conviction in his background. Nine years ago he was charged/convicted of grand larceny for receiving unemployment benefits for which was wasn't entitled. No jail time; fulfilled restitution. I've composed a statement explaining the circumstances and the fact that he's received a certificate of relief indicating presumed rehabilitation.

I'll spare you the details of the trials and tribulations he's endured to date. It hasn't been pretty, but I'm impressed by his tenacity.

The guy has talent and heart. He worked for a major international corporation after his conviction; the role encompassed handling of sensitive material. Unfortunately, he was laid off during downsizing. He's been delivering pizza to make ends meet.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on how or IF he should approach a recruiter. He's in Rochester, NY... home of Eastman Kodak... the great un-employer.

Thanks for your input.

Christine Robinson

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Permalink Reply by Marcia Tiemeyer on December 4, 2012 at 10:14am

Christine,

I have a candidate with a similar profile. He was convicted of a felony over 10 years ago. He did something stupid in his late teen years that he has been paying for ever since. He has completely turned his life around getting a Masters degree and owning a business. His business failed during the economic down turn and he has turned to IT consulting to find work. He past a 7 yr background check and was employed as my consultant for a very large client for over 9 months, doing a fantastic job. He did such a good job that they wanted to convert him to an employee. The background check only went back 7 yrs, they were finalizing the hire and asked if there was anything in his background that they needed to know. He tried to be honest and told them about the incident 10 yrs back. The company expanded the background check and saw that he had 2 months left on a 10 yr probation period. They decided that they could not hire and let him go immediately. This is a solid guy who has completely rehabilitated himself. As I said, he did something stupid as a teenager, he has matured and grown into a responsible adult. I am working with him and will continue to work with him to find a good perm position or a contracting gig with my company. I just need to be aware of companies that do background checks that go back as long as 10 years.

This is an issue that we all need to be aware and keep in mind. We all make mistakes, we are human beings who are far from being perfect. If someone pays restitution and rehabilitates themselves, why shouldn't they be given the chance to work and make a living?