In today’s electronic information-rich world, employment background checks are essential to ensure the wrong people don’t end up where they should not be. For example, it would not be wise for a freight company to hire an employee that has several DUI’s on their driving record. Simply put, an employment background check is there to help reduce risk.
From prospective tenant screening to employment background checks, electronic information makes finding answers about people straightforward and, in most cases, pretty quick. Tenant screening is an instant turn around unless there are criminal or eviction records. Most employment screening is returned within 12-72 hours.
What is An Employment Background Check?
It is more than just calling a few references listed on your resume! An employment background check, when done right, will include the potential employee’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.
With this information, you gain valuable insight into your job candidate. Reading people isn’t always easy, so having verifiable information to compare against what the candidate is claiming can help set a baseline of trust between you and them. Doing so also helps weed out the candidates that you should really stay away from, as any huge red flags will be uncovered during the background check.
There are various reasons an individual may fail a background check; however, this can vary by the industry you are in as the employer. This can include criminal history, falsifying education records, poor credit history, DUI’s on their driving record, discrepancies in their employment history, and many more. As an employer, it is your responsibility to do your due diligence of the employees you bring into your company.
The Larger Picture
Although employment background checks give you insight into information tracked at the city, county, state and federal level as far as the courts go, employment background checks should be part of a larger package. For instance, a social media screening can help give you a deeper look into the person, while drug tests can let you know if they are using illegal substances that would put the reputation of your company at risk.
License verification is also a crucial part of the screening, especially for industries that require particular licenses to operate (this can range from the healthcare field to contractors and the cosmetology field)! Through license verification, you may even learn more about the individual and other interests they have!
Closing Thoughts
When placing your trust in a background screening company, you want to make sure they are reputable and stand behind their information. The guidelines placed in the FCRA are there to protect to the employers and applicants. When background screening is conducted properly, companies can reduce liabilities and negligent hiring lawsuits regarding the application and background screening process.
Although employment background checks can take as long as 1 to 3 days, it is critical that employers take advantage of the many screening tools that ACUTRAQ provides. At the end of the day, paying for pre-employment screening is less expensive than hiring an employee who is wrong for your company for one reason or another!
