4 ms·

As far as I know in the US such records never disappear. Also, it seems common that for most tech jobs a criminal background check is done (I don't know how it'

by gst 13y ago

As far as I know in the US such records never disappear. Also, it seems common that for most tech jobs a criminal background check is done (I don't know how it's in other areas outside of tech).

jahaja 13y ago
I just can't understand why a criminal background check is relevant for a tech job..
- warmwaffles 13y ago
  It's relevant for most jobs. In America it's considered bad to hire a felon. It's really bad. IMO everyone deserves a second chance if they make the effort to better themselves. However, my in laws and parents do not agree with this. Once damned, you are damned forever. Though I want to know about those who were former felons in the US and leave the country and pick up citizenship else where. I'd really like to hear those stories.
  - wwweston 13y ago
    There's a profoundly messed up bit of thinking deep in the psyche of a lot of Americans behind this. I think, more or less, it has to do with the idea of America as a specific (and even ideal) instance of the Just World hypothesis -- that is, America as a place where one is more free than anywhere else (even perfectly free) to make their biggest dreams come true, or fall as deeply as their character flaws will take them. Thus there are two kinds of people: the "Worthy" (good, honest, hardworking, smart), and "Those People" (lazy, dishonest, moochers, criminals). In this narrative, Those People deserve a hard lot. Second chances? That's for Worthy people who just hit a spot of bad luck. Or people who can change, and given that Those People have deep character defects, what are the chances of that? The only thing that could possibly get them to change is harsh discipline and a hard life. Plus, why waste a decent job on one of Those People when there are so many Worthy who need a job and deserve it more?
    - lowkeykiwi 13y ago
      Absolutely. It's the dark side in the belief in pure perfect meritocracy. If they are rich then they deserve it. If they are poor then they deserve it.
  - jsmthrowaway 13y ago
    You'd hear "I'm still working on getting a work visa. Damn, it's tough."
  - hollerith 13y ago
    >Though I want to know about those who were former felons in the US and leave the country and pick up citizenship else where. I suspect that felons have a hard time finding a country that will take them.
- jsmthrowaway 13y ago
  Risk management. A three-time embezzlement convict applying for work at Stripe is an example of something a criminal background check should catch. The downside is (a) how easy it is to pick up a felony and (b) the number of hiring managers that immediately dismiss any felony.
- johnjlocke 13y ago
  Because a person with a felony background or very bad credit has access to trade secrets and information which they can sell for money at a tech job. Plus, it's hard to sell yourself as a culture fit, as most geeks have never done time in jail, mush less prison.
maratd 13y ago
> As far as I know in the US such records never disappear. That is not entirely correct. Certainly states have programs to expunge records. Here is the info for my state of New Jersey: http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10557_expunge_kit.pdf http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10557_expunge_kit.pdf
- jahaja 13y ago
  Erhm, tl;dr? :)

by gst 13y ago

As far as I know in the US such records never disappear. Also, it seems common that for most tech jobs a criminal background check is done (I don't know how it's in other areas outside of tech).

jahaja 13y ago

I just can't understand why a criminal background check is relevant for a tech job..

warmwaffles 13y ago
It's relevant for most jobs. In America it's considered bad to hire a felon. It's really bad. IMO everyone deserves a second chance if they make the effort to better themselves. However, my in laws and parents do not agree with this. Once damned, you are damned forever. Though I want to know about those who were former felons in the US and leave the country and pick up citizenship else where. I'd really like to hear those stories.
- wwweston 13y ago
  There's a profoundly messed up bit of thinking deep in the psyche of a lot of Americans behind this. I think, more or less, it has to do with the idea of America as a specific (and even ideal) instance of the Just World hypothesis -- that is, America as a place where one is more free than anywhere else (even perfectly free) to make their biggest dreams come true, or fall as deeply as their character flaws will take them. Thus there are two kinds of people: the "Worthy" (good, honest, hardworking, smart), and "Those People" (lazy, dishonest, moochers, criminals). In this narrative, Those People deserve a hard lot. Second chances? That's for Worthy people who just hit a spot of bad luck. Or people who can change, and given that Those People have deep character defects, what are the chances of that? The only thing that could possibly get them to change is harsh discipline and a hard life. Plus, why waste a decent job on one of Those People when there are so many Worthy who need a job and deserve it more?
  - lowkeykiwi 13y ago
    Absolutely. It's the dark side in the belief in pure perfect meritocracy. If they are rich then they deserve it. If they are poor then they deserve it.
- jsmthrowaway 13y ago
  You'd hear "I'm still working on getting a work visa. Damn, it's tough."
- hollerith 13y ago
  >Though I want to know about those who were former felons in the US and leave the country and pick up citizenship else where. I suspect that felons have a hard time finding a country that will take them.
jsmthrowaway 13y ago
Risk management. A three-time embezzlement convict applying for work at Stripe is an example of something a criminal background check should catch. The downside is (a) how easy it is to pick up a felony and (b) the number of hiring managers that immediately dismiss any felony.
johnjlocke 13y ago
Because a person with a felony background or very bad credit has access to trade secrets and information which they can sell for money at a tech job. Plus, it's hard to sell yourself as a culture fit, as most geeks have never done time in jail, mush less prison.

maratd 13y ago

> As far as I know in the US such records never disappear. That is not entirely correct. Certainly states have programs to expunge records. Here is the info for my state of New Jersey: http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10557_expunge_kit.pdf http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10557_expunge_kit.pdf

jahaja 13y ago
Erhm, tl;dr? :)