The Grey Area Of Fair Hiring

HR managers shouldn’t stress over a candidate’s age or background, especially for a minor infraction

When looking for qualified candidates, the tech-savvy generation is hot right now, especially with modernized tools being used every day. But what about the rest of the workforce? It pays to be precise when choosing the next employee for your company, but being too picky can eliminate a whole pool of top talent. 

If companies are only focusing on younger generations when hiring, that removes a large chunk of prospective employees. On top of that, one-third of Americans have a criminal record, which eliminates even more prospects that could easily have been the perfect fit, if you are disqualifying them from the start. 

HR managers shouldn’t stress over a candidate’s age or background, especially for a minor infraction. Instead, older generations and previously incarcerated workers could actually be a culture add to their workforce. 

So, here are three things you shouldn’t let stand in the way of a successful hire: 

Legally speaking, there are many factors that shouldn’t be included in any hiring considerations such as race, age, credit history, workers’ compensation claims, and criminal records. Employers always want to justify their hiring choices, and it is a no-brainer that trustworthy and responsible employees are a must for any organization. 

Most would agree that everyone deserves a second chance, whether they are looking for a new job after 20+ years at one company or searching for a fresh start from their past. 

If you are unsure whether or not your organization treats hiring fairly, then the answer is probably no. But don’t worry as there are some things you can do to eliminate those bias practices. 

A great place to start is by removing any questions in the job application that could steer you away from moving forward with a talented candidate, such as questions about criminal convictions or age. If these are truly important to the job, consider chatting with the candidate face-to-face or in a virtual meeting. If they aren’t directly relevant, then don’t ask at all. 

The statement, “they won’t fit in,” has a lot of things wrong with it. Disregarding a potential employee’s skills and experience based on preconceived notions of their age and background is incredibly discriminatory and not to mention wrong. Instead, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group, companies with more diverse management had an increase in innovation and revenue. In other words, more diversity means more profitability. 

Focusing solely on younger workers and building from the bottom up eliminates the expertise and wisdom that employees with different backgrounds and experiences might have. Instead, ignoring those stereotypes and investing in a blended workforce can not only open doors for potential employees but also acts as a big “WELCOME” sign for a lot of great talent. The bigger the welcome, the more well-rounded the culture of your company is. 

Having no expectations for a potential employee because of their background isn’t an excuse. Instead, evaluate their loyalty and determination rather than writing them off immediately. Set the same expectations for all candidates and give them each a chance to reach them. Sometimes the ones you wouldn’t expect will outshine those you do. The fact is, fair chance hires have a 43% higher retention rate than employees without a criminal record. Grit and grind are what matters in a great employee, and preventing a potential employee from showing those skills can cost you the best of the best. 

Now it is up to you. Whether it is challenging your personal thought process when reviewing resumes or sitting down with your team to discuss wants versus needs, the time for hard truths is now. Whatever you do, remember that when it comes to hiring, it is best to avoid getting stuck in the same ways over and over again. Aim to keep recruiting and hiring processes as fresh and dynamic as the quality talent you are looking for and you’ll be sure to attract and hire the top talent before someone else does.