Why are background checks important and how to conduct them wisely

Would you marry someone you don’t know if they looked good enough on paper?

Would you actually go ahead and tie your destiny to someone that you’ve never met before, don’t know who he or she is, what they’ve done before or what interests do they have? Of course not!

Well, business is a lot like marriage, in that you have to choose an employee for a specific job and, for better or worse, you have to stick with them. Of course, if finally it doesn’t work out you can part ways, but you could have avoided losing time and most likely money if you have looked into the matter beforehand.

Thus, when employing someone, it’s paramount that you conduct a background check.

What’s a background check? 

The background check is the necessary process a company or hiring firm undertakes in order to make sure that the person they are hiring is a good fit for the entity and it won’t influence them in a negative way.

A background check can ultimately shed light on a candidate’s personal history, criminal record, education, employment history and even social media usage.

Why do a background check? 

As the metaphor in the introduction tries to bring to light, once you hire someone, their past becomes yours as well. Would you want to link your image with someone that has maybe committed a crime, has a completely different set of values than those of your company or has outright lied in their resume?

Whatever dirt is in their past could become a blemish on your company’s image, and that should be avoided at all costs.

How to do a background check in a  good way? 

First of all, there’s no such thing as a free background check. Whoever tells you that is setting you up for false expectations. Each and every type of background check will require time and money.

At the very beginning, our advice would be to leave it to the professionals. We’re adept at providing the best services, including investigations and providing a complete report in order to help you make a decision. 

That being said, there are a couple of steps each process needs to include:

• Establishing a policy. Running a background check needs to be handled with care as the process has to be as transparent as possible. Set down the procedure and how it will influence the final decision.
• Check the legal constraints. You can’t just start digging up information without accountability. Seek legal council on the regulations that you need to follow or you may incur penalties. 
• Use internal resources or hire a qualified service provider. Internally you won’t have access to as much information or public/private records as a professional agency does. 
• Choose what kind of background check you require. These range from criminal records, address verifications, educational background, health frauds and abuse, reference verification, drug testing to social media screening and credit checks. Depending on the position to fill, some types of check might be irrelevant. Save money and time by being specific. 
• Take the response into account. The correct course of action includes notifying the candidate that he will be the subject of a background check and get their permission. It’s also possible that some clerical errors could have been committed, so give the potential employee time to clear up any inconsistencies. 
• Take the final decision. Risk mitigation and informed hiring decisions go hand in hand. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so carefully review the findings when taking the final decision.

Want to be more successful than the competition? Hire the right people with the right background!

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