There are laws in place to protect the privacy of job applicants. Businesses that ignore these regulations risk negligence liability and can incur heavy legal costs.
Conducting a background check is an essential part of the hiring process. It helps you decide better who you hire and avoids expensive legal problems.
It Fulfills Due Diligence And Avoids Liability
While negligent hiring lawsuits rise, background checks help companies avoid them altogether. If a criminal record shows an applicant has been arrested or convicted of violent crimes, they may pose a risk to your organization’s employees and customers.
Moreover, you must comply with local, state, and federal laws that require background checks for certain positions. For instance, you must conduct a background check on anyone interacting with children or older adults.
A comprehensive background search service can uncover more than just an individual’s criminal history. It can also include options like credit searches, motor vehicle records, and reference checks. This helps you minimize other types of risk for your business, such as financial fraud or a history of dishonesty.
It Flags Past Infractions That Might Impact An Individual’s Ability To Perform A Job
It’s not just criminal history that background checks uncover, but other past infractions like bankruptcy, liens, civil judgments, prison records, fugitive lists, expunged convictions, and more. This helps business owners flag any potential red flags affecting an employee’s ability to do a job well and keep everyone safe.
Negligent hiring lawsuits are on the rise, and hiring someone who harms your customers, other employees, or the company could cost you a lot of money. Performing a criminal background check and an identity verification check is one of the best ways to reduce this risk.
A background check can also uncover lies that a candidate may have told in their resume or application, which is illegal and can cause severe problems for the company.
It Keeps Employees And Customers Safe
Hiring the wrong person can put employees and customers in danger. A background check uncovers a wide range of information that could help you make an informed hiring decision.
Criminal background checks also verify that an applicant is who they say they are. This prevents fraud, embezzlement, and other financial misdeeds that can be costly to a business.
Reoccurring background checks allow employers to keep tabs on their workers and comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This can save a company from being fined or paying damages after an employee has committed a crime while on the job. Employee dishonesty can ruin productivity, team morale, customer relationships, and a brand’s reputation. A thorough background check can stop this from happening.
It Gives You A Full Picture Of Your Applicant
Hiring the right people for your business is imperative. A bad hire can significantly affect productivity, quality of work, and customer and employee relationships. Background checks can help you avoid making a costly mistake by giving you a complete picture of the person behind your interview persona.
Background checks can verify an applicant’s identity, confirm their criminal record, and reveal any financial or credit issues that could impact their ability to perform the job. They also include education and employment history. However, employers must follow the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and provide applicants with a clear and conspicuous disclosure of what will be revealed in the report. This includes a summary of their rights. This allows the candidate to dispute any incorrect information.
It Saves You Time
While some employers choose compassion and give candidates a second chance, most positions require comprehensive vetting. This includes jobs with children, the elderly, or vulnerable adults; roles requiring access to private residences and living quarters; and functions that handle sensitive personal information.
Background check services can save you time by cutting out some of the work that would otherwise be required. A good provider can streamline the process with ATS integration, online progress tracking, and automated form compilation.
Also, a good background check service can eliminate delays caused by inclement weather and natural events that interfere with normal business operations. These kinds of disruptions can slow down the process and make it difficult to find a new employee. A good provider can expedite the process by working with local and national resources.