How to do Employee Background Checks

The importance of employee background checks is more important in the modern world than ever before. You cannot recruit talented workers without looking at their history. Employee background check is a critical stage in the employment process.

You may take candidates at their face value by giving them the benefit of doubt like was the case in those good old days. However, this old school approach is not practical in the contemporary society. A host of several issues such as identification of theft and resume fraud are alarmingly prevalent nowadays. As a hiring officer, you have a moral obligation to protect your company against bad recruitment.

Some of the large companies have developed comprehensive in-house screening processes. The challenge with small companies is that they may not have the resources to undertake this responsibility. You need a large human resource department to undertake in-depth employee background checks. Most small companies cannot be able to achieve this objective with the required level of precision. However, this article presents some of the tips that you can use to take your screening process to the next level.

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Check on Criminal Records

First, you must ensure that you undertake criminal record checks. Check with the security department to confirm whether the candidate has any pending case. You can also confirm whether there are any past criminal records. You can allow the employee to explain whether he has a past or pending criminal case. Do away with any candidate who decides to cheat at this point. A good employee will accept that he has a criminal case, if any, and be given a chance to explain himself.

Do Credit Checks

You also have to perform credit checks especially if the employee will be handling cash. A bad credit history can be a sign of poor management of personal finances. You cannot trust a person who cannot manage his finances with the funds of your organization. However, you need to go deep to the matter because a poor credit history could result from loss of a job or other unavoidable circumstances. Some professions may require you to undertake health checks especially if the employee will be handling matters that touch on the health of the public like food.

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Understand the Health Background of the Candidates

You may also want to understand the health conditions of the worker and whether he is suited for the job. Request for a medical report so that you can get to understand the health condition of the candidate. This will help you to save a lot of money that may result from hiring employees whose health does not allow them to work in your organization.

Use Background Screening Websites

One of the leading sites where you can do this background check is checkthem.com. This site allows you to find information on anyone and even tell who called you. You will be able to get information on court filings, property history, marriage and divorce records, licenses, professional verification, addresses, phone number history, mugshots, arrest records, criminal records, and contact information. Most employers find this site to be extremely useful especially when it comes to the process of screening candidates.

Conclusion

You should not assume that you will get direct access to the criminal records of candidates. State laws vary greatly and you must understand the prevailing laws before doing any checks. You don’t want to find yourself in a state where you are accused of breaching human rights while trying to search for background information of candidates. Also, it is prudent to seek the consent of the candidates before searching for any background information. You would rather dismiss any candidate who does not allow you to undertake this process than going against his will.

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