The Importance of a Background Check for Hiring

Background checks for hiring are a crucial part of hiring employees. It’s certainly not the only thing you want to consider when hiring a new employee, but it will help you learn more about the applicant. Then, you can consider whether or not the applicant is likely to fit in with your organization. However, to get the most out of a background check for hiring, it needs to be conducted properly. The best way to do this is to choose a quality background check service and have them perform your background checks. 

Pre-employment Background Checks

A background check for hiring typically occurs during the pre-employment phase of the hiring process. During this check, any judgments, felonies, or misdemeanors should be disclosed from checking the databases of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, National Sex Offender Databases, and Homeland Security.

A background check for hiring may also include employment and education verification. The verification lets the employer know whether the potential employee worked for the employers they claimed to work for and attended the schools they listed. A credit check could also be done, although this is best avoided unless it relates to the position being applied for.

Types of Background Checks

There are pre-employment, which is the kind of background check for hiring, and ongoing background checks. Pre-employment background checks are the type most people are familiar with since they are often required before getting a job. Ongoing background checks are not as common and should generally only be done if there is a reason.

• Pre-employment Background Check: This is the type of background check most people are likely to be familiar with. A pre-employment background check is typically performed on potential employees as a part of the hiring process. It’s a good way to see if a potential candidate will suit your needs and fit in with your business. This is typically done for a candidate along with a contingent job offer.
• Ongoing Background Check: This type of background check should only be conducted if there is a specific concern causing the desire to complete the background check. This could be a conviction or some other circumstance that has come to your attention. 

Typically, companies that do background checks have packages but are also willing to let you choose only the services you want. 

Advantages of Performing Employee Background Checks

Background checks for hiring are an essential part of the employment process. It is quite common for potential employees not to be entirely truthful in their applications. So, background checks can be a very important part of the employment process. 

Running a background check for hiring potential employees can let you see if a potential employee is telling the truth and sometimes help you decide if the candidate is a good fit for the position for which they are applying. It can also alert you to any criminal background a candidate may have, which could help you decide if a candidate is a good fit for your company and the position for which the candidate is applying. 

It will also give you an idea of how trustworthy the potential employee is, which is important to know before hiring someone. This can be very important since you could be held responsible if you fail to run a sufficient check on a potential employee, and they turn out to have a criminal background are subsequently involved in an incident.

Running Pre-employment Background Checks

It is best to partner with a quality background check provider. If you perform your own background check rather than employing the services of a background check company that complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you risk getting sued. There are some other thIngs you should do as well to stay within the law and protect your business.

• It is a good idea to consult with a lawyer and your business insurance carrier. You want to comply with any laws, but also be prepared should you run into any problems.
• Employ an FCRA- compliant service for running your background checks for hiring.
• Make sure you have a detailed policy for conducting your business’s background checks.
• Tell any potential employees that your company conducts pre-employment background checks. This not only notifies the employee of what your company is doing, but it may also discourage applicants that know they won’t pass a background check.
• It is best to make a contingent job offer before conducting a background check for hiring. This is not required in most states, but it is still a good policy. Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Oregon do require this.
• Run the background check by following your background check provider’s directions. Then, consider the results. Look at how recent any convictions are and how relevant they are to the position.
• Contact the candidate about the results of the background check and give them a chance to explain any issues. If you decide to rescind your offer, inform the candidate and tell them why. But, they don’t need to approve of your decision.
• Make sure you are consistent about which candidates you run background checks on and save your records. They could be useful should you get sued.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, the importance of performing a background check for hiring is clear now, and the importance of choosing a provider you can trust cannot be overstated. If you need a partner to provide you with quality background check options, contact Pre-Employ today for a free quote. We are one of the most trusted providers of pre-employment screening services on the market. Don’t be left in the dark when it comes to hiring; contact Pre-Employ to perform background checks on your potential employees today.