Ban the Box Campaign: A Study of UK Business Implications

This essay examines the 'Ban the Box' campaign, which originated in 2004, focusing on its impact on businesses in the United Kingdom. The campaign aims to promote fair recruitment practices by removing the question about criminal backgrounds from job applications. The essay explores the arguments for and against the campaign, considering its effects on businesses' hiring processes, employee selection, and overall operations. It presents counterarguments regarding potential risks to businesses, such as fraud, and refutations that emphasize the importance of protecting the rights of individuals. The essay also discusses solutions for businesses to mitigate the challenges posed by the campaign, such as conducting background checks after the selection process and implementing training programs. The conclusion reinforces the campaign's benefits for individuals while suggesting that businesses can adapt through strategic approaches and adherence to legal and ethical guidelines. The essay analyzes the campaign's effects on business competitiveness and offers strategies for businesses to sustain a competitive advantage. The essay concludes by recommending that businesses follow government regulations and enhance their research into candidates' backgrounds to improve their performance and gain a competitive edge.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY 1 ...............................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY 2................................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY 3................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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INTRODUCTION
Ban the box is an international campaign which is used to protect rights of people and
this movement was started in the year 2004. The main aim of this is to increase chances of fair
recruitment process in the United Kingdom (Peck, 2013). This movement stated that the
employers should remove a check box from the form of recruitment process that asked about the
criminal background of the candidates as this can affect their morale and values. The present
report is based on ban the box which is beneficial for the citizens of UK. Below mentioned report
focuses on the structure which explains the problems which are faced by the business
organization due to the movement. Further, this explains solutions of these problems.
MAIN BODY 1
Topic: Ban the box is detrimental for the organization
Counter argument: This movement is detrimental for the organisation as through this
they will know about the criminal background of the applicants. Through this, they will not be
able to improve their growth in the market as employees can do fraud and cheating which will
lead the firm towards the declining stage. So, the solution for this problem is that the manager
can check background of the candidate on their own so that morale of people can be ensured in
an efficient manner. As per the report of FCRA, employers generally check the background of
their workers after their selection. Sometimes, this can discourage employees when they are
asked about their past records that are related to the criminal records (EEOC, 2012). On the other
hand, this also affects the operations of HR department who are associated with the recruitment
and selection process. Through this, the cost of the hiring process gets increased as the manager
will not be able to ask the background of people at the time of interview.
Refutation: These all counter arguments are right in some extent that the campaign affect
the operations of the business organization in an effective manner (Smith, 2014). Along with
this, the firm should not check background of the applicants who are applying for the job. Apart
from these, if an enterprise checks the past data of interviewees after their selection, than they
can save their company from the fraud. Through this, the manager will be able to ensure the
smooth functioning in business and healthy and safe environment can be created at the
workplace.
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Argument: As per my point of view, the movement protect the rights of an individual at
the time of selection and recruitment process. If the organization will be aware about the
background of the people then they can ensure healthy environment in the business. So, they can
check their data after the selection. On the other hand, this movement is more beneficial for
people who are living in the country. If organisation will not ask criminal detail to a candidate
then maybe they can hire a person who has strong criminal background which will be harmful
for the entity.
Finishing sentence: Employers can identify the past data of candidates on their own after
the selection of that person. Through this, companies will be able to remove limitations of the
movement of ban the box.
MAIN BODY 2
Topic: Ban the box is beneficial for the citizens but harmful for the business organization
Counter argument: This campaign is more beneficial for people who are living in the
country but it can be dangerous for organization to hire people who lack in knowledge and skills
(Sugie, 2017). On the other hand, the firm will not be able to improve their growth in the market
as employees have no experience and they cannot fulfil the needs of their customers. Through
this, the rights of people can be protected. As per the research of EEOC, it has been stated that
after this movement the enterprise will not be able to hire skilled candidates who can help them
in accomplishing their goals.
Refutation: Through the counter argument it has been stated that the campaign is useful
for the people not for the organization who are performing their operations in United Kingdom.
In order to improve the growth of entity, it is necessary to create a skilled workforce at the
workplace (Vuolo, Lageson and Uggen, 2017). If workers are not competent enough then they
can't perform their activities in an efficient manner as well as their growth will not be improved.
On the other hand, organisations can identify the needs of their staff members and provide them
training as per their requirement so that their overall performance can be improved. All members
can update their skills in a manner as they can help the firm inn creating a strong base of
customers.
Argument: According to my point of view, the core competencies of all workers will be
enhanced by conducting the training and development programs at the workplace. Through this,
employees can improve their knowledge, experience, beliefs and so on. After developing these
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skills they will be able to offer quality services to their customers and they can generate more
revenues. Apart from these, the organization can hire more employees and make them skilled so
that their brand position is also get improved.
Finishing sentence: Organization faces many issues after the movement of ban the box
as they are hiring the people who are lack in skills and knowledge. But the firm can conduct the
training, development, workshop, sessions that will help the workers in enhancing their core
competencies. Through these, they will become more competent and offer the quality services to
their customers. So, the movement will not affect the organisation and they will be able to
accomplish their goals.
MAIN BODY 3
Topic: Ban the box is detrimental for the enterprise
Counter argument: The movement that was conducted in 2004 was in support of the
people of UK as through this they can protect their rights while giving the interview in any
organization. Through this campaign, the firm is not liable to ask the questions to the candidate
related to their criminal background as through this the values and beliefs of the people are get
affected. So this movement affect the operations of the organisation in many manner and they
will not be able to get the competitiveness in the market than any other rival firm. On the other
hand, people are not that much skilled that they can help the organisation in gain the competitive
advantage. Garcia (2012) says that ban the box internation movement affect the operations of the
enterprise and they will not be able to achieve their specified targets.
Refutation: All the above counter arguments are somehow right that due to the
movement the enterprise will not be able to sustain their competitive advantage at the
marketplace (D’Alessio, Stolzenberg and Flexon, 2015). If they hired a person who has some
criminal background then due to this they have to face some issues that can be related to the
safety and fraud. Along with this, these people can also disclose the legal norms of the company
in front of their competitor firm. Through this, the overall performance of the enterprise is get
improved. So, after the selection procedure they can check the background of their employees. In
order to gain the competitive advantage, the firm can use some of the strategies such as cost
leadership, differentiation and focus.
Argument: When ban the box campaign conducted in the country then all citizens of
United Kingdom can protect their rights from being asked the questions from employers at the
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time of the interview. So, this is much more beneficial for the people. Apart from this, if
manager will not check the background of their workers at the time of selection procedure then
their might be chances that they can recruit a person who is not good for the entity. Through this,
they will not be able to achieve the competitiveness. Further, after following all strategies the
enterprise can sustain their competitive advantage in the market.
Finishing sentence: A business organization can follow all the competitive strategies
such as cost leadership, differentiation and focus. By following these approaches, they can
improve the brand image of their enterprise and they will be able to attract number of customers
towards their services. Further, they can follow all the rules and regulations that are made by the
government so that overall performance can be improved.
CONCLUSION
After summarizing the report it has been concluded that ban the box movement was
conducted in order to protect the civil rights of United Kingdom. This law was arise when
number of criminal cases are increased in the country and people are not getting job in the firm.
Companies started to checking the criminal record of the applicants so that safety can be ensured
to other staff members. Apart from these, this essay shows that ban the box is beneficial for the
people of the country and somehow it is also beneficial for the companies who are performing
their operations in the environment. The enterprise can solve the issues that they faced at the
time of this movement and through some strategies they will be able to resolve all the solution of
the problems.
Organization can follow the structure that is recommended by the state government so
that their rights can be protected. Apart from this, a business organisation can check the records
of the all the candidates who are appearing for an interview. So firm can check their data after
the selection of the workers at the workplace. Through this they can protect the rights of all the
candidates so that their overall performance can be improved. The HR manager can check the
records at their own through their governmental records and other legal data. Along with this,
higher authority can follow a procedure in which they can check the data of the candidate before
the interview process so that their overall performance can be improved in an efficient manner.
Through this, they will be able to gain the competitive advantage in the market than any other
rival firm.
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This international movement can support all the legal and ethical activities of the
organization that are performed by them in the environment. If all the firm follow this law then
they can enhance their growth as well as all the future outcomes can be achieved. Along with
this, the manager can enhance their scope of research in identifying the background of all the
candidates.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
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