Interview

By Steve Gordon

Today (3-21-11) I got a phone call from Jane Von Bergen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. She wanted to interview me about the recent proposed legislation in Philadelphia to eliminate the box on job applications that asks if you were ever convicted of a crime.

Of course I had an opinion and spoke my peace as I kept her on the phone too long and potentially made her late for a meeting. My apologies Jane.

My position is basically that this is a good thing but only a first step to ex-offender employment. It creates a better opportunity to get a job interview on a more level playing field without the stigma being in place and having the job application tossed without the applicant being given a chance to present himself or herself. It shouldn't matter whether it is a job for an entry level blue collar job or something more advanced.

At this point I refer you to the March issue of Graterfriends as published by The Pennsylvania Prison Society. There is an article I wrote earlier this year and they felt it was relevant to publish in the issue.Employment is a problem all over, but it is more of an issue with those who may not even have enough money for their next meal let alone a place to sleep and call home. Can you spell potential for re offending?

The article published reiterates a lot of what I have written before, but now it is getting out for more people to read. I would like to think it instigated the legislature but this has been a problem long before I came on the scene. However if it helps push along the issue then perhaps I have made a mark for positive reform for ex-offenders.

Back to the legislation that Mayor Michael Nutter has said he will sign. Why just Philadelphia? Why not other cities like Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, or Allentown to name a few? The problem with that is it is just thinking small. This should be statewide and put in front of Governor Tom Corbett. NO, NO, NO. That is still thinking small. This is a national problem. This should be national. No job application anywhere for any kind of job should have that box on it. It should go the way of the question of a persons date of birth.

Further, no first interviewer should be able to ask the question. The problem there is that in a first interview when work history is talked about there will be a gap in the work history that will have to be explained.

One reality is that there will always be discrimination. A criminal history, black, white, asian, man, woman, young, old, etc. It is a long list. However, how much of this discrimination is relevant to any particular job? It is supposed to be who is most capable of doing the best work for the job being hired for. I am willing to bet that there a plenty of HR people out there second guessing hiring the best dressed, sweet talking applicant with the best resume when someone else, perhaps even an ex-offender, would have fit into the company and done the job better.

Look at it from another point of view if you are an employer. Here is a chance to put an ex-offender back to work and allow that individual to prove themself and then the company can lay claim to helping the community by helping this part of it be productive and useful.

I pursued an issue I had with Applebees managed by a company called The Rose Group. Eventually I got a name and number for someone in HR. I phoned  Paul Trzaska and we had a nice conversation about all of the above. I have seen flyers on employment boards that Applebees is ex-offender friendly so I pursued a job as a Host. One facility is within walking distance from my reisdence.

The bottom line is that there is no hard definition except for some restaurtants in certain areas. The ones I applied to are not in those kind of areas. Your neighborhood bar and grill with a family atmosphere is in some way ex-offender friendly. It does get stickey when you get into the area of felony convictions, but again there is not a no hire policy. It seems to be a store-by-store decision. It is a gray area loophole, but at least on paper this company is open to the idea.

The legislation in Philadelphia needs to be expanded and in the process employers need to see that as a group, ex-offenders have a lot to offer and can be productive. A friend who has position in the county calls my offence "a moment in time" and says it does not define who I am. As I try to move on with my life I think the nations employers, big and small, need to do the same and look beyond the glitter and to the meat and potatoes of what a potential empoyee can do for them.

Hire an ex-offender.