We won’t quote the driver shortage numbers, because anyone recruiting in the transportation industry is already familiar with the challenges of finding good employees with the right traits to take a seat behind the wheel. There simply aren’t enough CDL-holders to go around, and the problem is getting worse.
The logical conclusion is that no driver with the characteristics of a quality employee or independent contractor should be turned away without an adequate look. This includes many drivers who may have a prior criminal record but have since made a real and lasting change and can be trusted with safely operating company equipment or their own.
In other words, second chance hiring.
Information is Key
Offering opportunities to individuals with a prior criminal history is often referred to as “second chance hiring.” More transportation companies—and more companies everywhere—are considering how to engage in this practice with confidence.
One key ingredient is information.
Recruiters, hiring managers, and senior leadership need to be able to tell the difference between someone who has put a mistake in the rearview mirror and a candidate with ongoing, repeated pattern of behavior that could pose a safety risk to coworkers, customers, the community, and company reputation.
The Role of the Right Background Screen
Background screens are a top priority for garnering helpful information to make a quality hiring decision. But not all background checks are made the same, and the differences can affect hiring confidence.
Did you know?
- 1 out of 3 candidates with a criminal record move to a new county or state every 2 years.
- 25% of criminal records exist outside the current state of residence.
That’s according to studies Asurint has performed on past background screens we’ve conducted for clients. The point is—as each candidate moves, so must your ability to search for their records.
Unfortunately, many background screening providers rely solely on single-county searches, while others use databases that simply aren’t as robust as they should be.
Asurint’s smart search, using IQLogics, delivers expanded proximity coverage for a candidate’s address history. This unparalleled solution covers additional jurisdictions because criminal activity does not stop at the county line.
The end result—we deliver 15% more records than single-county searches alone.
Why A Comprehensive Search Matters
Ask our clients and you’ll hear over and over again how Asurint uncovers more records than providers they’ve used in the past.
In some cases, we confirm criminal history that a candidate has disclosed to the prospective employer. This gives transportation recruiters more trust that the individual has been forthcoming in their application.
In other cases, we find issues that the candidate didn’t disclose—and that other screening providers might not find. When the criminal history is related to the position, poses an unreasonable safety risk or is otherwise impactful to the hiring decision, transportation companies can minimize the risk associated with onboarding an employee they really shouldn’t have hired.
Getting the full picture matters to our transportation clients. Comprehensive background screens allow for companies to be informed and can help guide an individual assessment of the candidate based on relevant information. Companies can be more comfortable engaging in second chance hiring when they have a more complete picture of the candidate, and that’s good for deserving candidates and companies’ talent success, too.
Want to learn more? Why not schedule a conversation or demonstration? Contact us here.