Thereâs new attention on hiring people with criminal records By: Scripps National and last updated 2021-05-27 16:17:10-04 With both the need for workers right now and emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, there's new attention on hiring people with criminal records. As many as one in three or around 70 million Americans have some type of criminal record. Human Resource professionals and business leaders are more on board with hiring them now. According to new research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the majority say they do their jobs just as well or better than others. This also includes promotion potential, dependability and retention.