Running background checks on potential dates prior to asking them out may seem odd to some but the same does not hold true when hiring a new employee. Taking a chance on a blind date can result in a bad evening but there is no doubt that hiring a wrong employee can negatively affect your company, your other employees and your existing client base. Then there is the cost and time spent finding a replacement after a poor hiring decision plus a potential lawsuit if the employee proves to be dishonest or unethical. As an employer or manager, it is your responsibility to properly vet your clients!
Conducting Background Checks on Potential Employees
Thorough Background Check. Look at a wide range of information that includes the applicant’s education and employment as well as criminal history, driving history, social media, and other factors. Many companies hire the wrong employee or lose great candidates when they look at only one source of information. Business owners and managers may also be the target of an Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) investigation for excluding applicants who have a criminal record.
Have You Been Convicted of a Crime? The EEOC and many local counties are making efforts to ban the question on the employment application that reads, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” It is better to interview and consider all applicants equally. And then run a thorough background check.
Employment Verification Release Form. You will need to have a legal release form completed by the employee applicant, inform that person of their rights, and provide that applicant with a copy of the report based on the way the background check is conducted.
Background Check Laws for Employers. The rules concerning background checks vary based on federal, state, local and job-specific laws. Check with your companies’ legal counsel to make sure you proceed correctly.
Do be consistent. Make sure the process is consistent for all applicants. When two applicants apply for the same job they both need to have the same searches and investigations run on them. This will avoid charges of discrimination.
Applicant Insight into Background Check. If you should discover something on a background check that may impact your decision to hire an applicant, talk to them about it. It is possible that reporting errors have been made that can be resolved.
Patterns of Behavior. A single good or bad act should not be the defining measure of a person of their job ability. Considering consistent patterns of behavior is a defensible way for employees to make hiring decisions.
Don’t Look for Just the Bad on a Background Check. Background checks often pinpoint the negative. Use them to locate positives as well to help you choose between two or more well-qualified candidates.
Employee Background Checks in Greater Miami, Sunny Isles, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton & Miami Gardens Florida
Always use a professional agency to process your background check. We will do a great job in screening and locating the specific information pertinent to your hiring decisions. We are efficient and accurate and we will also help you avoid viewing data that might be a violation of state of federal law. Don’t attempt to run a limited search yourself. You cannot find everything online and cannot make a good decision without all the facts. There is a lot of legally obtained data that can only be conducted by a licensed background check firm such as Advanced Private Investigator and Security of Boca Raton FL. Protect your business against bad hires and hire us to conduct employee background checks.
