Employment Background Checks and Criminal Records

People in Illinois who find themselves facing a criminal conviction after being arrested may well be worried about how such a black mark on their record might impact their future. One area that a criminal record may impact is the ability to get a new job. However, it is possible to find a good job despite having a conviction in one’s past.

According to Zip Recruiter, the Society for Human Resources Management indicates that nearly seven out of every 10 employers conduct background checks on job applicants before they officially hire people. With this is mind, it is recommended that job seekers take the time to run their own background checks before they start their job search. This will allow people to find out if there are any inaccuracies on their records and, if so, to have those corrected.

Reviewing one’s own background check results may also allow a person the ability to effectively plan a response to the information. Glassdoor indicates that a job candidate should be forthcoming about their criminal record with a potential employer. This information, however, should not be shared too early in the process but should be shared before the background check is complete.

When telling a company about a criminal record, a person should put the emphasis on what they learned from the experience. The purpose of doing this is to reassure the employer that the behavior that led to the conviction is not a pattern and will not pose a future problem for the person or the company.