Fair Chance Hiring and the Risk of Getting Pre-Employment Background Screening Wrong with Gavin Bray

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!What should employers actually know before running a background check?In this episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer sits down with Gavin Bray of Alliance 2020, a nationally accredited background screening firm headquartered in Washington State.Gavin breaks down what employment screening really includes, why accreditation matters, how background checks protect organizations, and why screening should never be used simply to “weed people out.” Instead, background checks are one part of a bigger hiring picture — one that includes fairness, compliance, role relevance, applicant experience, and thoughtful decision-making.Jessi and Gavin also dive into Washington’s Fair Chance Act, including what employers need to understand about conditional job offers, criminal history, individualized assessments, and why employers cannot rely on blanket “no felony” policies. They also discuss marijuana testing, drug screening panels, negligent hiring risk, second-chance employment, and the balance between protecting the workplace and creating opportunities for people with past criminal history.In this episode, Jessi and Gavin discuss:What Alliance 2020 does and what employment screening includesWhy national accreditation matters in the background screening industryThe “tree” of background screening: criminal checks, drug screening, employment verification, education verification, driving history, credit reports, and moreWhat Washington employers need to know about pre-employment cannabis testingThe risk of negligent hiring claims when employers do not screen candidatesWhy background checks can improve applicant experience and reduce internal HR burdenHow the Washington Fair Chance Act affects hiring decisionsWhy employers need conditional job offers before running background checksWhy criminal history should be evaluated in relation to the roleHow second-chance employment can reduce recidivism and create opportunityWhy background screening should be part of a holistic hiring decision, not a shortcut to exclusionThis episode is for HR professionals, business owners, hiring managers, compliance leaders, executives, and anyone responsible for building a safer, fairer, more legally sound hiring process.Because good screening is not about ruling people out.It is about making better decisions.CONNECT WITH [email protected] 2020