Words resembling a hand with the words criminal background repeated.

Can Background Checks Protect Your Company?

Here’s a good list of things for you to consider:

  • Workplace Theft – Workplace theft reportedly costs U.S. companies $50 billion dollars a year, and of that, small businesses are disproportionality hit at 68%.
  • Negligent Hiring Lawsuits – A thorough background check by a quality company is the best defense against a negligent hiring lawsuit.  This type of litigation is costly for large companies, and a smaller organization may not be able to survive the financial loss.
  • False Identities75% of HR managers have caught applicants lying on their resumes. Not knowing who you are hiring or their real background is dangerous. Individuals who are not forthcoming or lie about their criminal history, use a false social security number, or are dishonest about their previous employment or education are risky hires.
  • Workplace Violence – Careful screening of new hires can reduce workplace violence (which includes harassment, workplace bullying and threats). Hiring individuals with a history of violent behavior leaves your entire workforce exposed.
  • Temporary Workforce – Contract employees, sub-contractors, freelancers and temporary workers should all be sent through the same screening process as full-time employees. Not doing so may expose your company to all kinds of criminal acts.

Creating a safe work environment is more important than ever and it starts with pre-employment screening. However, you should avoid using the offers that advertise “instant background check” or “free background check” as they’re often based on incomplete records, leaving you legally exposed. You may think you’ve got a good background, but this false sense of security may result in you unknowingly hiring someone with criminal convictions, previous episodes of workplace violence, or temporary workers you know nothing about. Background check companies online that claim to provide inexpensive and instant results are often not built to recognize and address accuracy issues. An untrained eye may not spot inconsistencies, inaccurate data or missing information on an employee’s application without some guidance from an experienced pre-employment screener. Additionally, a recognized background check vendor can protect you by providing only legally permissible results, under FCRA laws, for your use in making a hiring decision.

An accurate background check company that is experienced should be able to answer important questions such as: Why was a felony charge found in the statewide search, but not the county search where the crime was committed?  Which counties are inconsistent about updating their criminal records?  Should I run any additional searches or is that unnecessary? Additionally, a legitimate background screening company can help you answer questions you may be getting, such as: What is the 7 year rule for background checks? How can I check my own background? What is the best website for background checks? Armed with the right responses provided by your background screening partner, you should be prepared to answer questions from legal, labor & employment or leadership. 

But keep in mind, getting background information to the talent acquisition person is only half of the process, the other half should be having detailed and complete results so the HR team can make an informed hiring decision.

When hiring someone you should never trade convenience or a few dollars for security.  It is not worth the risk.  A solid background check from an experienced vendor is a sound investment, especially when you realize just how great the cost of a bad hire can be. 

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.