Hiring new employees is a significant investment in your organization. A good hire can save your company money and damage its reputation with customers and employees. Comprehensive background checks can protect your business from negligent hiring lawsuits and minimize risk for your customers, employees, and property. However, many factors must be considered when selecting a background check provider.
Professionalism
Hiring the wrong employee can cost an organization significant time, money, and reputation. Background checks are a critical component of the hiring process that helps to keep employees, customers, and the public safe. Criminal and credit background checks provide information on an applicant’s personal life, while reference checks focus on work behavior. The questions asked should be tailored to each position so that critical information is obtained. The employment screening process must be non-discriminatory and consistent for each applicant. This includes ensuring that all searches are job-related and meet the requirements of federal law and local laws. It also means ensuring that the background check results are used to make the most informed hiring decisions possible. This is best accomplished by establishing a comprehensive hiring policy and conducting regular updates.
Accuracy
Accuracy and precision are both critical in background checks. A comprehensive background check can include a variety of searches for criminal insights from local, county, state, and federal criminal records repositories. It can also verify identity, as well as employment and education history. As a recruiter, you want to be able to trust the results of your background checks. However, a single inaccurate result could cause you to make a wrong hiring decision, costing your company money in lost productivity and legal fees. Partnering with a background check provider that takes accuracy seriously is essential.
Timeliness
Employers must ensure a background check process that adheres to all applicable laws. This can include the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which requires an employer not to discriminate against a job applicant or employee based on their medical history. The turnaround time for a background check varies depending on the search type. A criminal check usually returns quickly, but a more comprehensive check that includes employment and education verification may take longer. Other factors that may influence a background check’s duration are unavoidable delays, such as those caused by outdated or incomplete records. A streamlined screening process can help speed up the overall time frame. Still, clear communication on expected results and next steps to candidates is essential throughout the process.
Responsive Customer Service
Background checks can significantly impact job candidates’ chances of landing or keeping jobs. They also require accuracy and patient customer service that ensures the process moves smoothly and compliantly. A comprehensive background check is essential for every business to minimize risk. It includes searching criminal records, sex offender registries, and terrorism watch lists. Additionally, it often includes identity verifications like verifying the date of birth, social security number, and previous addresses. It’s essential to be aware of the federal laws governing background checks and the state laws in which your business operates. This will help you avoid negligent hiring claims.
Flexibility
Numerous background checks can be performed to uncover important information about an applicant, including criminal history and identity verification. However, no “one size fits all” package applies to every company and role. A flexible background check process can help you avoid missing important information and save time and money in the long run. A flexible background check process is also necessary to ensure all candidates are treated fairly. For example, some job seekers list many skills on their resume that they don’t possess or may have embellished upon. Verifying educational credentials and employment history can reveal these inaccuracies before hiring. This helps you make the best decision for your business.
