Assessing integrity through employment screening. An interdisciplinary analysis of employer and screening practices in the Dutch labour market.

• In Event: Non-Criminal Justice Responses to Delinquency Panel 2

Abstract

As background screening expands in width, breadth and depth, producing collateral consequences that hinder the re-entry of people with criminal records into the labour market, there has been surprisingly little attention paid to the reasons why and methods how employers perform background screening. These screening practices often go beyond basic criminal record checks and may also include credit checks and social media searches, thereby assessing applicants’ financial, social and online reputability. Based on 58 semi-structured, half open interviews, this study explores how employee integrity – a key feature of employability – is evaluated not only by employers, but also by leading private and public screening professionals in the Netherlands. The results provide thorough understanding of processes of in- and exclusion in the labour market. First, we unravel the kaleidoscopic Dutch screening landscape and identify factors driving the enhanced form, function and scope of screening, predominantly a commodified and codified risk-aversiveness. Second, we explain how professionals use these various screening instruments to mitigate different types of risks through distinct mechanisms: ‘soft’ risks, like financial vulnerability, are managed by raising awareness, while ‘hard’ risks, often related to criminal convictions, are mitigated primarily through exclusion, with screening serving to ‘deter’ individuals who anticipate rejection. By situating employability within a broader context, this study enhances our understanding of how these various screening practices may introduce additional barriers to employment beyond those associated with criminal convictions.

Authors

• Elina van 't Zand-Kurtovic, Leiden University

• Ard Barends, Leiden University