Background Checks and Their Importance in the Workplace
A bad hire can wreak havoc on productivity, team morale, and customer service. A background check for employment can ensure that candidates are truthful in their resume, application, and interview. It can also protect a business from negligent hiring lawsuits. Background checks are crucial, especially for sensitive jobs where employees may have contact with customers or children.
Background Checks Are a Must
HR managers may validate that the applicant they hire is who they say they are by doing a background check on prospective new hires, which is a valuable tool. It also verifies their identity and can help you avoid hiring sex offenders, criminals, and other unsavory characters that may negatively affect your business in some way. A basic background check includes verification of the candidate’s Social Security number, employment history, and education as reported on a resume or application. It can also include a credit report, checking with previous employers and personal references, and even a search of the state sex offender registry. A background check may involve many further searches, depending on the type of employment, to assist you in making a better-educated hiring choice. Performing a background check helps you keep your employees, clients, and property safe, maintain compliance with industry regulations, and reduce liability claims.
They Save You Time
An excellent technique to confirm the information on a candidate’s application, cover letter, or résumé is to do a background check. Sadly, it’s common for candidates to lie on these documents, and background checks can reveal their deception. Performing these searches can also help you eliminate candidates that have a criminal record or an issue with alcohol or drug abuse. It helps you maintain a safe work environment and keep your company productive and profitable. It may be expensive and time-consuming to make the wrong hiring decision for a job on your team. Plus, making a bad hire can cost your business training costs, lost productivity, and even legal liability due to negligent hiring lawsuits. Fortunately, conducting pre-hire background checks can save you money and time in the long run. It also helps you avoid hiring sex offenders, stalkers, and con men. It protects you from losing clients and sales opportunities due to a workplace incident that could have been prevented by a simple background check.
They Save You Money
Background checks save your company money in a few different ways. First, the cost of hiring a new employee can be expensive. Especially when you factor in onboarding, training, and lost productivity costs. Additionally, a bad hire can cost the company in lawsuits from negligent hiring claims or workplace violence. Another way that background checks save your company money is by eliminating potential fraudulent activity. Occupational fraud and theft are estimated to cost organizations $3.7 trillion annually. Background checks can uncover a candidate’s sticky fingers or financial irresponsibility history.
In addition, a background check can reveal discrepancies in a candidate’s resume or application. Candidates frequently overstate their educational background or professional experience. A background check can search for tax liens, judgments, or bankruptcy to assess an applicant’s financial responsibility. Additionally, some companies check for fingerprints, motor vehicle records, presence on sex offender lists, and educational verification.
They Keep You Safe
Many positions require criminal background checks, especially those involving handling money or working with children, the elderly, or disabled people. Likewise, employers often perform credit checks and social security verification on current employees before offering promotions or moving them to sensitive jobs such as bank employees or truck drivers. Background checks reveal many important information about candidates that they don’t volunteer. These include criminal records, sex offender registries, and motor vehicle reports, among other things.
Additionally, a credit check may show that someone isn’t who they say they are, or it might uncover debt and spending habits that could impact their performance on the job. A background check might prevent you from hiring someone who lies on their resume or application. Many applicants lie about their work history or education; a background check can catch these lies before they lead to bad business decisions.
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