5. Interviews, disclosure, vetting and saying ‘no’
Train hiring managers on requesting and receiving disclosures
Equip hiring managers with the skills and confidence to handle disclosure requests and responses effectively, ensuring a positive experience for all involved.
What does success look like?
Enhanced understanding of disclosure process
Consistent approach to handling disclosures
Positive experience for both hiring managers and applicants.
How would Offploy do it?
Train managers on the appropriate terminology to use in order to ensure that a candidate feels supported and not judged. Avoid labelling individuals with words like “convict”, “criminal”, “paedophile”, “prisoner”. Better to refer to “ex-offender”, “person with a conviction”, or “Person with a sex offence (PWSO)”.
Explain to hiring managers the awkwardness and embarrassment many people feel when they have to disclose their offending past. Many people assume that people with a conviction are “hardened” to their past but for many conviction and possibly prison was a traumatic experience which may have left lasting scars on them. Sensitivity and support around taking a disclosure will go a long way to demonstrating that you are an inclusive employer with a positive culture. See: 1. Getting the culture right
Practice receiving conviction information in a professional and supportive way that does not convey shock or disapproval. There are many different offence types and sentences that are received. Be aware of your own prejudices and how to hide them. Some offences may be shocking in their nature or outside of your personal comfort zone. However, it may be equally hard for the potential employee to discuss their conviction as it is for you to hear it. Remember you have the right to say “no” if you deem the risk too great or the individual unable to fit into your company culture. See: 6. Onboarding and additional support
Ensure that hiring managers understand the difference between “spent” and “unspent” convictions and what this means legally and in practice. This is something that can be trained and there are many online resources which enable you to check what is “spent” or “unspent”. See: Is it spent? (Poster) - Working out when your convictions are spent - Unlock
Brief hiring managers on how to record and handle sensitive personal information disclosed to them. Disclosure of a criminal conviction is amongst the most sensitive information you can receive. It is important that hiring managers understand that any notes taken are not able to be pinned to an individual and any written disclosure received is either destroyed promptly or filed appropriately and securely.
Examples in Practice
Nothing to see here... yet.
We're still putting the finishing touches on our new Employing With Conviction Guide.