I had a conversation with someone that I know who hires people for his job. Interestingly enough, he had actually come into contact with someone that has a felony conviction, so of course I asked him what he did. But before we get to that, earlier in our conversation, when I asked if he would even consider hiring someone with such a background, I could tell he was leaning towards no. He explained that it could be a liability and no company really wants to deal with that. However, I was surprised to hear a “but” at the end of his sentence.
A hero conviction is when you do something noble but still have to pay the price for it.
I found this story interesting for two reasons. The first reason is that is made me think of how many people are probably in similar situations but don’t even have the chance to tell their story because employers don’t even give them a chance. I couldn’t help but think about how unfortunate it must be to have to constantly check that box to state that you have been convicted, when what you did, in some people’s eyes, is not even considered wrong. This story made me realize how important it is for people to listen, and to not judge someone off of what you see on an application. Employer’s should take the time to hear potential employees out and then make their decision.
I also found this story interesting because I don’t miss the fact that offering this woman the job, as many others probably would as well, is slightly judgmental. Who are we to really decide what conviction is good, or better than someone else’s? This woman, who definitely should not be turned down because of her situation, could be a worse employee than someone with let’s say, a past drug charge.
What do you think of the hero conviction?