How we’re humanizing the background check process with Candidate Stories

Individuals with criminal records, including the 650,000 people released from prison each year, face significant challenges when applying for work. Without a steady job, citizens reentering society are nearly twice as likely to recidivate, or return to prison, than those who do find work. People with any records, even those who have not been incarcerated, are consistently denied jobs because of their background check. One-third of Americans have a criminal record, making this problem far too large to ignore.

At Checkr, we know that criminal records alone do not provide the full picture. We believe that criminality is an action and not an identity. Everyone has the capacity to make mistakes, and human potential extends beyond what may have happened in the past. Every individual has a unique story that is worth hearing.

Today, we’re proud to announce Candidate Stories, our newest human-focused feature that allows these stories to be told.

Candidate Stories gives candidates, or job-seekers, the opportunity to share additional context about themselves and the circumstances surrounding their past directly with companies considering them for jobs.

Many individuals with records seek opportunities in the gig economy, where companies tend to rely heavily on background checks to determine if candidates qualify for a position, without ever meeting them face-to-face.

Given its significance, we want to make the background check experience as humanizing as possible and allow candidates to represent themselves fully.

For those who were previously incarcerated, Candidate Stories provides a way to share who they were before, during, and after incarceration. Many people accomplish significant goals during their incarceration — such as completing college, obtaining master’s degrees, and becoming certified counselors and coaches.

We worked with companies to determine what information would give them more confidence in hiring someone with a record. We created these example prompts so can candidates can share the most relevant information:

• I think I’m a good fit for [Company] because…
• Since my case, I have received a bachelor’s degree (see certificate attached)
• I have completed X hours of community service
• I have been working for X years and have great reviews and strong referrals

Criminal records can be challenging to interpret, and circumstances surrounding the same charge can be very different between individuals. So we also provide suggestions on how candidates can speak to the context surrounding their conviction:

• These are the events that led up to this case
• I have since gone to rehabilitation, and here’s what I’ve learned
• Here’s why this won’t happen again

Candidate Stories helps overcome bias by giving decision-makers the chance to better understand the person behind the background check. It is our hope that as more candidates tell their stories, we can expand ideas of trust and safety, normalizing hiring people with conviction histories and giving everyone a fair chance at employment.

Interested in learning more about Checkr’s Candidate Stories feature? If you’re a Checkr customer, contact clients@checkr.com. If you’re a candidate, please reach out through Checkr’s Help Center. Candidate Stories may not be enabled for all customers.