To Hire or Not to Hire*
SELECTING A NEW COMPUTER ANALYST
‘As a manager in human resources, part of my job is to
guide the process by which my company selects new
employees. Recently, we selected an applicant to fill a
computer analyst position. The supervising manager
and a selection panel selected this applicant over a num-
ber of others based on her superior qualifications and
interview.
BACKGROUND CHECK
However, a routine background check indicated that
the applicant had been convicted 18 years earlier for
false check writing. The application form has a section
where the applicant is asked if he or she has ever been
convicted of anything other than a traffic violation. In
response to that question, this applicant wrote “no.”
When informed of this, the supervising manager
stated that she would stil like to hire the applicant,
“This case was prepared by Tim Timmons.
but asked me for my recommendation. The job does
not involve money handling.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Ifthe applicant mistakenly thought that her record
had been cleared over time and therefore did not
lie intentionally, would that make any difference in
the hiring decision?
. Should the fact that the applicant did not tell the
truth on one part of the application automatically
disqualify her from further consideration?
. Should the supervising manager be allowed to hire
this applicant despite the fact that the applicant
lied on her application, provided the manager is,
willing to take the risk and assume responsibility
for the applicant?
If the applicant freely admitted the conviction,
should she still be considered for the position?
Should a minor offense committed 18 years ago,
when the applicant was in her early 20s, disqualify
her when she is overall the most qualified applicant?
What types of convictions, and how recent, should
disqualify potential new hires?