There were the typical phone screens up front. Not too technical. I eventually navigated the interview process and received an offer which I accepted. When I received the offer letter it stated it would do a background check and I disclosed I had 2 felony convictions from a crime that was over 7 years old. I addressed the Green factors of Title VII with the CEO over the phone, and she seemed disinterested in what I had to say. It was as if she was checking a box on some HR form. I have had these talks many times before and know when someone is disinterested.
In the end they denied me the job without any specific details as to why my crime made me unsuitable for the position. They also never provided me a copy of the background investigation, which I requested in writing several times. Recidivism rates are below the general population, I had been working in the same industry for 6 years without incident, and there were other important rehabilitative factors that were also addressed. Additionally, my Probation Officer (PO) said he had no concern that I take the job. Although, I asked them to call my PO I don't believe they ever did.
From my perspective I was denied employment, not because there was a tight nexus between business necessity and the job, but solely because I had a felony conviction in my past. This sort of overly broad disqualification is probably a risk to the company itself, but they didn't seem to care.
