How To Conduct Background Checks For Employment

Though often overlooked, employees are the lifeblood of a company. Every company needs qualified, reliable, and trustworthy employees to achieve business goals. Unfortunately, building such a team isn't easy, peculiarly with contempo statistics showing that approximately 56% of job candidates Opens in a new tab. lie in their resumes. Candidates can prevarication well-nigh where they work, their education groundwork, previous job duties, skills, and experience.

While this may not be a big deal for some businesses, information technology is downright dangerous for some companies. Every bit a result, conducting groundwork checks is a crucial component of whatever hiring process.

What are Pre-Employment Background Checks?

Pre-employment background checks are routine checks conducted during the hiring procedure. These checks are meant to reveal otherwise private information about potential hires. In most states, background check primarily reveals individuals with convicted felonies, misdemeanors, judgments, and records from Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI, Homeland Security, and National Sex Offender Registry.

Some companies as well include education and employment qualifications in their background checks. They ascertain that your potential hire went to schools listed in their resume, worked for companies listed, and more. In specific situations, groundwork checks extend to potential candidates' credit backgrounds, such every bit a history of bankruptcy.

How to Conduct a Background Cheque

Follow the following steps to bear an authentic background check on candidates and potential hires:

ane. Create a Background Bank check Policy

You should brainstorm past creating a consistent background cheque policy that outlines the mandatory background checks, how they influence hiring decisions, and when they should be conducted. Doing this assures a just and transparent process. Your groundwork check policy should include the following;

Information technology is best to ensure that background checks are done beyond your system. However, you should tailor groundwork screening to suit your task position. For instance, you lot might necessitate credit checks for accountants and finance officers and driving records for company drivers.
Your policy should be specific about how information gathered from background checks will influence employment decisions. For this, information technology is best to consider the nature of the crime, the nature of the vacant position, and the presence of outstanding issues.
You should determine the stage in your hiring process when groundwork checks are conducted. Federal laws generally permit employees to conduct groundwork screening at any hiring stage, provided the candidate consents. However, state and local laws may differ.

A detailed groundwork check policy enables companies to eliminate potential bias, discrimination, and possible litigation.

2. Ensuring legal compliance with your groundwork check policy

Federal, state, and local laws govern all background checks, and employers are held accountable for compliance. Failing to ensure that your background bank check policy complies with these legal provisions can lead to lawsuits and costly fines. That said, you lot should be wary of the following possible violations;

Background checks should merely exist done afterward the candidate consents to the procedure. According to the FCRA, employers should inform job applicants in writing that background checks are part of the hiring process.
Similarly, the FCRA requires employers or hiring agents to follow the laid out agin activity steps if they intend to take unfavorable deportment against job applicants based on groundwork cheque results. Employers should send a notice detailing the pre-adverse action, copies of the groundwork report, and a summary of candidates' rights. Candidates should be given sufficient fourth dimension (ideally five days) to respond earlier the adverse activity is taken.
These laws are enforced by the EEOC and prohibit employers from discriminating against job candidates based on colour, organized religion, race, national origin, and sexual practice. This promotes diversity in the workplace.
Co-ordinate to these regulations, employers should carry background checks at to the lowest degree afterward the first circular of interviews or subsequently issuing a conditional offer. However, these regulations vary amidst states and local authorities.

3. Place the different types of groundwork checks to acquit

With a well-laid down policy, y'all should identify the mandatory background checks required for various job positions. Mutual groundwork checks that apply beyond all businesses include:

Criminal groundwork checks are crucial as they reveal the candidates' previous crimes. From this check, you can gather information on committed felonies, misdemeanors, vandalism, disorderly conduct, sex crimes, fraud, and even pending cases. Employee criminal record helps employees evaluate if the candidate can be a threat to visitor customers or a cause of an dangerous workplace.
Employee credit checks reveal the candidate'due south credit history, such every bit payment history, revenue enhancement liens, unpaid bills, and civil judgments. Nevertheless, information technology doesn't include the bidder's credit score.
: Some positions cannot be occupied by employees who use prescription drugs. Routine screening also helps businesses maintain a safety and productive workplace.
These checks provide information about the candidate'southward non-criminal cases and judgments where they were listed as respondents. This includes small claims, such every bit civil rights violations, restraining orders, and bankruptcy.
These checks are of import for employees who will operate motor vehicles and other similar positions. They confirm the applicant's license validity and general driving history.
Most employers overlook the importance of education checks. Nonetheless, you lot should verify and ensure the applicant's school attendance, diplomas, degrees, and certificates are valid.
Verifying your candidate's job experience and previous employment history is as well crucial. Employment history confirms that the work feel included in the candidate'southward resume is true, and they meet the vacant positions' requirements.

Some employers may also need to check the applicant'south property ownership, legal working status, military records, healthcare sanctions, and international background checks, depending on the nature of the vacant position.

iv. Hiring a background cheque company

Since the hiring needs of every company vary, you should outsource background checks to a company that understands your specific hiring needs. The best company depends on your business size, hiring volume, size of the Hr team, number of locations, presence of in-firm legal aid, and background screening policy. Nonetheless, you should consider the following when choosing a groundwork check company;

Ensure that the company tin can achieve FCRA compliance and understands EEOC regulations, ban-the-box guides, and state-specific regulations to avert lawsuits.
The visitor should reduce transmission workflows past adopting seamless integration to your applicant tracking system.
The visitor should reduce EEOC scrutiny while being able to advise when individualized candidate assessment is required.

5. Communicating to the candidates

Yous should inform your candidates about the relevant background checks to be conducted. Explain to them why you are conducting these checks and encourage them to exist open. Inform them of their rights to run across the results of various background checks, dispute inaccurate data, and add comments that justify whatsoever arising alerts.

The EEOC recommends that employers should consider individual circumstances when evaluating candidates' criminal records. They should consider the nature and gravity of the criminal offence committed, when the offense was committed, and the relevance of the criminal offense to the position beingness sought.

Endnote

Different earlier, background checks are increasingly becoming an important function of hiring. These checks enable employees to understand potential candidates beyond the resume and what candidates say during the interview. Ideally, groundwork checks have betwixt three days and 1 week. However, the procedure can have longer depending on the information existence requested.