We talk about the security side of recruitment with Keith Rosser, pictured, in the April 2016 print issue of Professional Security magazine, ahead of him speaking at the BFI’s 21st Annual Employee Vetting and Screening Conference, on March 16.
The head of screening and compliance services at Reed, has been to 10 Downing Street. He’s sat around a table with Prime Minister David Cameron. It was before the PM’s speech in February on prison reform. Towards the end he said ex-offenders are often rejected for jobs out right because of their past. “I want us to build a country where the shame of prior convictions doesn’t necessarily hold them back from working and providing for their families. Of course, I want businesses and organisations to know who they are interviewing. If a conviction is ‘unspent’, they need to know about it and make the right decision for that business. But here’s my question: should offenders have to declare it up-front, before the first sift of CVs – before they’ve been able to state their case?”
Hence the idea of being ‘name-blind’ when recruiting and screening for staff; that you don’t filter out people because they have a foreign-looking name, or a conviction. Keith and others make the point that it’s not only unfair on the person weeded out; ex-offenders who can’t find work may find themselves turning to crime again; and such filtering may not even make business sense; that someone could do a good job for you!?
The BFI is running two Employee Vetting and Screening Interactive Workshops:
– London – 18 May 2016
– Birmingham – 7 July. See more at: http://bfi.co.uk/.
