Reasons To Do a Criminal Background: Any time you hire an employee, you run the risk of hiring the wrong person, or even worse one which may prove detrimental to the company. The best insurance for avoiding this embarrassing scenario is to conduct a comprehensive background check before hiring.
A background check is considered to be an important screening step before making a decision to hire a person. This verification program helps the employer eliminate several risks that may result in a bad hire that can result in resources going to waste and eventually a costly loss for the business.
In order to successfully lessen the chances of hiring an employee with bad antecedents, conducting the best personal criminal background check has become an essential tool of the employment screening process. This will help keep the morale of other members of the team high and reduce chances of any damage to your company’s reputation.
Apart from criminal information, the background checks should include the person’s financial and commercial records as well, to maintain safety in the work environement and create an environment that keeps both customers and workers happy.
Furthermore, background checks can save the businessman from unnecessary litigation which may result from hiring an individual with an unsavoury or dangerous past. Pre-employment screening will help avoid lawsuits and reduce the cost of insurance.
Flagging the criminal history will ensure whether the applicant is suitable for the job or not, as minor incidents can be overlooked for an individual with exceptional talent that can help the company increase their profits.
A check generally involves obtaining information from past co-workers, supervisors, employers and teachers with respect to the individual’s skill, knowledge, performance at work and above all, character.
While most employers conduct these checks before the hiring process, others do so throughout the employment cycle.
Motives to conduct background checks
Background checks are conducted for a variety of reasons, but the main aim is to hire the best talent available for the job in hand. Some other compelling reasons are:
Safety
Safety and legal issues are another reason to conduct reference checks to prevent any harm to:
- Fellow employees by workplace violence or sexual harrasment.
- Customers of the organisation by any assault on the business premises.
- The communal through negligent or rash driving
- The employer through economic loss or damage to the company’s reputation.
Increase productivity
Hiring the top and rejecting the rest can help in increasing productivity, as previous performance is a sound indicator of upcoming well-being for the organisation. That’s why a check will help differentiate between a genuine candidate and a ordinary poser.
Data verification
Verifying the data submitted by a prospective candidate with respect to educational qualifications, work experience etc will provide a valuable insight into the applicant’s honesty and motivation. Studies have shown that as many as 85% of the candidates, either hide some information or misrepresent facts on their bio-data sheets.
Company’s reputation
If you hire a person who has to regularly interact with the vulnerable population such as adults and minors, conducting a detailed criminal record check will help in maintaining the reputation and safety of the company in the eyes of the general public. Checks should be carried out both at district and state level to gain access to all the vital records which may not be accessible otherwise.
Takeaway
Comprehensive background search can help unavoidable hires that can harm your reputation and your business standing. Business owners and hiring managers should therefore be absolutely certain about timely verifying the criminal records to ensure that the applicant fulfills all the job requirements.