SECOND CHANCES
I Hired an Ex-Con After He Confessed His Crime to Me
He could have lied, but that’s not who he was
The interview
As Steven walked into my office for his interview I sized him up. He was a big guy in his 40's, nicely dressed and confident, with an easy smile. Hailing from Georgia, he had an elegant drawl with all of the linguistic trappings of a Southern gentleman… yes ma’am, no ma’am, all y’all. Nice.
As we started to chat I regarded him as a soft-spoken gentle giant. I immediately liked him, an important element in hiring someone in my book. I needed him to contribute to the happiness and cohesion of the culinary team of a newly-opened restaurant.
A quick review of his resumé showed the style and length of line cook experience that was right up the alley for the available position. Things were looking good for Steven. Nice.
Near the bottom of the job application was a section for criminal history. Do you have any? It’s a standard question. If the applicant answers no, you simply move on. Nothing to see here. But if the applicant answers yes…
Have you ever pleaded no contest, nolo contendere, or guilty to a misdemeanor or felony crime, or been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime? Yes or…
