I’ve Had a Minor Felony Conviction and A Former Colleague Wants to Refer Me for a Job!

I’ve Had a Minor Felony Conviction and A Former Colleague Wants to Refer Me for a Job!

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President of The Society of Human Resources Management, provides an answer for how to handle this situation. Frankly, I was surprised and think you will be, too.

Why Have You Had So Many Jobs?

Someone ran into someone they knew, and the person said, “you’d be great for a job at my company; I’d like to refer you.” And since this person worked with them, the individual writing says, “I’ve had a minor felony conviction. How should I approach letting her know when in the process should I disclose this information?”

Now, I saw an article on the SHRM website. That’s Society for Human Resources Management. And the article was written by the president of the organization, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. who says, “I applaud your willingness to be candid about your candid about your past, but wants you to be very smart and intentional when and if you disclose your conviction. Frankly, I subscribe to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell when it comes to disclosing former arrests or convictions in the interview process.

When I read this, I was shocked. But let me continue.

Many employers don’t care about an employee’s criminal history, and therefore they don’t ask at any point during the hiring process. If you can do the work and are aligned with our cultural, they’ll hire you. So there’s no point to you bringing up an issue that’s not relevant to the employer or your ability to do the job. But even those employers who will inquire about your criminal past, many only want to go back for a specific period of time, usually five to seven years. In fact, many states forbid employers from going back more than seven to 10 years.

Now, depending upon the relationship with your former colleague, you may want to disclose your situation with her, especially if she plans on being a reference for you. You don’t have to go into detail about your conviction. But she might be able to provide insight into the company’s hiring practices, and point out any obstacles or restrictions your conviction may present in securing the position.

Standing Out on an Interview

Interesting.

Assuming the employer will at some point in the hiring process, ask about your criminal conviction, it’s better to get out in front of the issue by bringing up your conviction during the interview process. This will demonstrate that you’re forthright and transparent and affords you the space to give context to the offense. The last thing you want is for the hiring manager to later discover it from another source and draw their own conclusion, or worse, appear to be deceitful.

While you should address your conviction, don’t focus on the details of your offense. If you’ve already established yourself in the workplace post conviction, highlight your success in returning to work. Be sure to steer the conversation back around to your experience and acumen away from any negative feelings about your past.

And he concludes by saying “Keep in mind, employers may not hire you depending on the nature and gravity of the offense, or conduct, as well as the time passed since the conviction, conduct or other completion of the sentence and the nature of the job held or sought.

So folks, this is a change in my past for how this would be handled. It’s kinder to folks, and there’s a hedge in there, of course, that speaks to whether or not this is something older, and it acknowledges that some firms are still going to reject you. So that’s the way to handle it.

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ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2300 episodes.

Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us

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