| To protect organizations from liabilities and litigation, background checks are becoming increasingly common during the hiring process. Correspondingly, many individuals have committed criminal offenses which often excludes them from being selected for a job. This study examines the effects of criminal offenses, such as those often identified through background checks, on selection decisions such as interviewing, hiring, and starting salary. For this study, a resume with an accompanying background check similar to what is used in many organizations were provided to professionals and to undergraduate psychology and business students at a midsized university located in the southeastern United States. As hypothesized, criminal offenses were found to negatively impact job applicants on selection decisions except salary. |
