In this day and age, anyone can tell you anything and provide almost any necessary documentation to back it up. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what’s real and what is not. With reports of identity theft and misrepresentation so widespread, it makes it hard to know just who you are hiring to be your trusted employee. Because of this and in addition to professional and character references, most companies are now doing background checks on all potential employees. Background checks are a thorough way to verify information and weed out potential misrepresentation. Since your employees come in contact with protected items such as money, confidential information, and private business practices, a background check gives you that extra layer of reassurance when considering a person to add to your company.
What Does It Cover
When people apply for a job, often the application process includes a line that they sign verifying that they understand that a background check will be performed on them. This is almost as common as drug testing before acquiring a job. Background checks should not be an issue and if they are, then that in itself is a red flag. These reviews look for things in the applicant’s history relating to
- Finances
- Education
- Employment
- Crime
These are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to ensure they are done ethically and aren’t used to discriminate against protected classes.
What If You Don’t Do a Background Check
It’s nice to think that most people are honest about themselves, but the reality is that taking that chance could cost your company more than just money. Of course, there is the worry that if your employees handle money for your business that they may steal from you, so doing a check on their criminal and work history would set your mind at ease. However, what about confidential and classified information? Often your client base will trust you with personal information they must provide depending on your company’s services. Even things as basic as home addresses and phone numbers could be a liability in the wrong hands. Finally, what if your prospective employee is actually working for the competition and your private business practices are protected for whatever reason. Knowing their personal and work history helps you make a more informed decision regarding their motivation for applying with you. It’s understandable that this additional protection also adds to your overall hiring cost per employee, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Why Wouldn’t You
The bottom line is, if the tools are available to you to protect your company, clients and other employees, you are responsible to use them. Taking someone at their word isn’t what it used to be and not following up on information that is given to you is not wise in today’s business world. Taking that extra time and spending that extra money now has the potential to save you and your company in the future. Anyone applying for a job in today’s market is aware of the tendency for companies to perform background checks, and the best employees welcome them.
