Don’t Skip Pre-Employment Background Screening

Everyone knows that one of the secrets to long term success in any organization is hiring the right people for the right job. Your staff need to be able to do their job competently and at the same time, fit in with the people that they will be working with. Having a solid employment background check procedure to follow when screening job applicants can be a huge benefit to you during the pre employment process.

When you employ someone new I’m sure that you would like to think that this new addition will be an asset to your business for a long time to come. At the same time your applicant will be trying to impress you and convince you that they are the best candidate. Some applicants are so desperate that they will manipulate their resume to the point of downright lies. This practice is more common than you might imagine so it’s surprising how often employers do poor screening checks or don’t do them at all.

Ask the Job Seeker for Permission First

Get your applicant to sign a waiver prepared by your legal experts before you go looking for background information. The waiver should provide you with permission to access any personal information that you might need to process the application. The prospective employee should be aware that they are giving up their privacy in return for being considered for the job.

The Difference Between Reference and Background Checks

Many people are either confused about the difference between reference and background checks or they think that they are the same thing. They are not. A reference in this context is a person who has worked with your candidate sometime in the previous 7 years and who is prepared to talk to you about them. You need 3 references to get a good picture of the person.

When you do a background check on someone it is to confirm and validate any documents or information that they have given you and of course, to be sure they are not using an assumed identity. Also check for arrest warrants, criminal records and any other information that might be relevant.

Consider the following when you draw up your employment background check procedure.

Court Records

Checking with court records offices all over the country would be an impossible task as there is no official database of all records in one place. You can and should check with state and county court houses in and around all of the places that the applicant has lived or has worked in recent years. They might still have a criminal record or arrest warrants or other records elsewhere but at least you will have made a reasonable effort to find them.

Drivers License

You only need to do this if the employee is required to do any driving. If it does then take the license and check its validity by giving the issuing agency a call.

Credit Checks

If the job has got anything to do with money then you should do a credit check. For most posts that are not concerned with money or finance in any way then a credit check may be of not be worth doing.

Other Licences

It seems that the more respected is the profession, the less inclined employers are to check that licenses to operate in that profession are valid. It sounds incredible but it is possible to find yourself treated by an unlicensed employee simply because noone bothered to check that the license was current and valid.

Academic Achievements

Why is it that so many people lie about their academic qualifications and grades to get jobs? Could it be because it will probably work as hardly any employer checks them? Call the college or institution to make sure that the applicant did gain the qualifications that they say they did.

Use a Public Records Database to Get your Employment Background Checks Started

Most if not all the background and validation checks above can be performed easily by making a series of phone calls. It is however time consuming so why not start your employment background check procedure by searching an online public records database. This is a method of background checking that is super quick and could give you enough information to make a decision without picking up the phone or commissioning an expensive employment checking service.

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Category: Business Management
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