HR Question
  • NihilNominisNihilNominis
    Posts: 911
    Does anyone have any insight, maybe you’ve been on a hiring committee, as to how legal complications, plea bargains, or ongoing legal proceedings, affect a committee considering a candidate for a church job?

    I have sometimes been asked this question and given my half-donkeyed advice, but it occurs to me that, to be honest, I have never been on a hiring committee, so I’m not really in a good position to answer it. Anyone with that experience want to weigh in? I’m not talking about VIRTUS stuff.

    This is not about me nor anyone logged on here, fwiw. Just want to be an informed advisor.

    Also, is there any good or helpful way to be forthcoming about this in a cover letter or conversation that keeps the door open, in your experience?
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,379
    I guess we need to clarify to answer: is this question specifically pertaining to hiring within the church? Or do you mean in general?

    I ask, because diocesan policies can be a real hindrance here. I'm our parishes's safe environment coordinator (God help me; I despise it), and we have a long spreadsheet from the diocese (undoubtedly crafted with heavy input from legal counsel) that dictates how much time must pass from various infractions, until people can even volunteer at the parish. I am aware of one case, for instance, of a person who was caught possessing a small (misdemeanor) amount of pot in 2019, and their case still is not resolved by the courts. Our diocesan policy dictates that this person cannot even volunteer until full decade has passed. We won't discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of this policy (please; let's truly not get into it), but the fact remains that this person will be precluded from any ministry for a long time to come. Couple in the fact that we have in-depth mandatory background searches, means that you couldn't hide it even if you wanted to. (And, frankly, it would be a really bad look if you did hide it, only for it to be discovered after the fact!)
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,191
    Having been heavily involved in hiring in the 'commercial' environment, I can say that 'complications' (outside of minor traffic tix) are an excellent reason NOT to hire someone, if only for the reason that 'complications' will involve court time, usually a lot of it.

    Companies don't hire someone so they can spend company time in court.
    Thanked by 1NihilNominis
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