1. If the applicant mistakenly thought that her record had been cleared over time and therefore did not lie intentionally, would that make any difference?
2. Should the fact that the applicant did not tell the truth on one part of the application automatically disqualify her from further consideration?
3. Should the supervising manager be allowed to hire this applicant despite the fact that the applicant lied on her application, provided the manager is willing to take the risk and assume responsibility for the applicant?
4. If the applicant freely admitted the conviction, should she still be considered for the position? Should a minor offense committed 18 years ago, when the applicant was in her early twenties, disqualify her when she is overall the most qualified applicant? What types of convictions, and how recent, should disqualify potential new hires?

As a manager in human resources, part of my job is to guide the process by which my company selects new employees. Recently, we selected an applicant to fill a computer analyst position. The supervising manager and a selection panel selected this applicant over a number of others based on her superior qualifications and interview.