Diversity, integration, culture, ethnic, respect, differences

How Background Checks Can Improve Diversity & Inclusion

The landscape of American business continues to evolve, and whether you’re bringing your coffee to your small business on Main Street, or grabbing some Joe at the corporate cafeteria over on Wall Street, the topic of diversity and inclusion in the workplace has become an increasingly important one. To some, D & I may just sound like a well-covered trend in the HR world, or a large corporation’s latest initiative they can tout. However, the practice of diversity and inclusion is a fundamental element in successful businesses, and if you’re running a small business it may be good to know that you don’t need a large-scaled initiative to reap the benefits.

So, what do background checks have to do with any of this? Well, let’s start by looking at why D & I matters to any business. While most places are just hoping to survive right now, others are focused on ways they can grow and thrive in spite of today’s business climate. This means re-evaluating the company’s mission, strategies, policies and practices, and D & I’s ability to increase profitability means it should be considered in that analysis. Who you hire reflects your company’s diversity, and what you base those hiring decisions on is where background checks come into play. Being able to trust the information your vendor provides you with is vital. The criminal reporting system for example has flaws that many background check providers are aware of, but not all factor into your needs. A vendor who acknowledges these and actively searches for discrepancies in search results and performs cross checks is invaluable. Having an assigned account manager to partner with and discuss the most appropriate searches can be an additional way to improve hiring decisions. It’s impossible to benefit from a diversity and inclusion strategy if you can’t get candidates past the front door!

Having the ability to make more informed decisions about the people applying could make recruiting easier by opening the gates a little wider, and creating room for a few more potential hires to enter. Having an experienced and supportive background check vendor in place can be a powerful tool to help you increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Here’s a great article for you to read if you’re interested in the bigger picture of D & I and how it has the potential to vastly improve your small business!

When your business needs assistance with employment screening, criminal checks, FCRA compliance, drug screening, education and employment verification, driving records (MVR), credit checks or social security number validation, contact the Swailes Background Team to get quickly signed up.