Recently, the New York Times reported on a changing landscape in the hiring space, in the article “As Labor Pool Shrinks, Prison Time Is Less of a Hiring Hurdle.” According to the article, many employers are relaxing their criminal background policies to allow themselves to open a new talent pool: people with criminal backgrounds and even, in the case of municipal employer, current inmates.
While recent “Ban the Box” laws have played a part in this trend, there is much more to the story. We asked two experts at Verified First, a leading background and drug screening company, to weigh in about this trend. Michael Lotterstein is Vice President at Verified First, and Elyzabeth Ambra is Compliance Director.