Restorative Record
Cornell deeply values the diverse and abundant talent within the greater Ithaca community and beyond, inviting all to apply for employment opportunities.
The university is committed to ensuring accessibility and fairness in its application and hiring processes. The Restorative Record is a confidential job-readiness platform developed by Cornell’s Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative (CJEI) to further include and extend opportunities to the justice-impacted community and others with non-traditional work experiences. The final product produces a digital and downloadable file of the candidate's unique skills and experiences.
Disclaimer: Participation in the Restorative Record tool is optional and allows justice-impacted job seekers to voluntarily disclose their nontraditional work experiences. Completion of the Restorative Record digital portfolio is not a requirement of the application or hiring processes. Users have the right to decide when and how their digital portfolios will be shared. The intention of the tool is to support or enhance your application while adhering to Fair Chance Hiring laws in New York and Cornell’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement. See Important Information for Justice-Impacted Applicants section below for more information.
Cornell Human Resources aims to roll out a pilot of the Restorative Record tool across the Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses in the Spring of 2025.
If you have questions or need assistance completing the Restorative Record, email us at bridge2emp@cornell.edu.
New York Clean Slate Act
Effective November 16, 2024, the New York Clean Slate Act requires the automatic sealing of certain criminal history records after a required waiting period. Sealing makes these records unavailable in an employer background check. As a result, candidates may not need to disclose certain criminal convictions to a potential employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Restorative Record?
The Restorative Record is a secure and optional online job-readiness platform that helps people share their skills, non-traditional work experience, training and career journeys. The platform allows users to share more insight about their abilities, community involvement, and professional connections, beyond what is typically included in a traditional resume.
The user decides when and how their Restorative Record digital portfolio is shared with others. See the "When does the Restorative Record digital portfolio come into the hiring process?" FAQ below for additional information.
Users will be guided through a process to add as much or as little information as they want about these topics:
- Preferred Occupation(s): Express your desired occupation types.
- Personal Statement/Bio: Write a bit about yourself.
- Skills: List your skills and abilities.
- Achievements: Share any certificates and awards you've earned.
- Community Work: Talk about your involvement in the community.
- Education: Provide details about your schooling.
- Work History: List your past jobs.
- Training Programs: Mention any training you've completed.
- Hobbies and Interests: Include your favorite activities and hobbies.
- Other Programs: Share information about impactful programs, mentorship, or initiatives.
When finished, the tool creates a document that can be shared with others. This document will be your personalized Restorative Record digital portfolio.
How does the Restorative Record work?
With the Restorative Record you will be able to:
- Prepare a Restorative Record digital portfolio at your convenience and access it as often as you need.
- Edit any updates at your convenience.
- Download and/or print a PDF file with embedded QR codes.
- Request a digital portfolio review and our Bridge to Employment team will look over your completed digital portfolio and offer feedback.
When does the Restorative Record digital portfolio come into the hiring process?
After a contingent written job offer, a background check is initiated with the candidate's consent. If the background check report returns criminal convictions, candidates are invited to voluntarily complete and submit their Restorative Record digital portfolio. If a digital portfolio is provided, only the HR recruiter and Senior Director of Staff and Labor Relations will have access to it. See below for a breakdown and visual aid of the application and hiring processes. For additional information, please contact bridge2emp@cornell.edu.
Application and Hiring Process
Step 1: Apply for Position.
Step 2: Interview for Position - pre-screening interview, first interview, second and/or additional interviews, reference check, selection.
Step 3: Reference Check.
Step 4: Conditional Offer Extended.
Step 5: Offer Accepted. (Restorative record submission optional).
Step 6: Background Check - restorative record considered by HR reviewer and central reviewer. If background check is accepted, candidate is hired.
Note: Only authorized HR personnel will be able to view Restorative Record with your permission.
Important Information for Justice-Impacted Applicants
Participation in the Restorative Record tool is entirely optional and voluntary. This tool permits the disclosure of information, including criminal history, to provide a comprehensive view of your skills and experiences. Such disclosure is not an employment requirement. The intention of the tool is to support or enhance your application while adhering to Fair Chance Hiring laws in New York and Cornell’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement. Our objective is to ensure a fair and inclusive hiring process for all applicants, while acknowledging the unique challenges faced by justice-impacted individuals. This tool allows justice-impacted job seekers to voluntarily include their nontraditional work duties and environments (e.g., incarcerated settings, court-ordered appointments, community services, etc.).
Employers are allowed to ask about criminal history once a conditional offer has been extended. Candidates are free to use the Restorative Record tool to give narrative to anything that may be uncovered in a background check. Cornell complies with federal, state, and local hiring laws.