How To Properly Conduct Employee Background Checks
Are you having struggles with conducting background checks for new employees? We got you covered. In this article, we will list some tips on how to conduct background checks properly. Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about background checks and other related subjects, you’ll find more on the pocket lint website. Without further ado, let’s start:
- Be consistent with the type of background check you conduct
You should not perform background checks for select candidates and not perform them on others. As an example, you should do background checks for every applicant that reaches a certain level on the hiring process, regardless of race, gender, experience, and other qualifications. Additionally, the background check you conduct should be the same. For example, you should not conduct a basic background check on some of your applicants, while subjecting others to more comprehensive and detailed background checks. This will ensure fairness in the data that is gathered from all of your applicants, allowing you to make the best hiring decision possible without any bias.
- Keep your background check files
It is considered as the standard to keep background check records for up to 12 months at the minimum after you’ve hired someone and the job posting was closed. This is for safekeeping, especially when a former applicant wants to make an inquiry about your file on them, or if they pressed a lawsuit on your company. Keeping this information can prove valuable in the future.
- Inform the applicants about your background check
It is imperative that you inform every applicant that a background check will be conducted on them. Aside from the background check itself, you should also notify them of every qualifying test that you require, like drug tests, psychological tests, etc. Aside from giving them a warning, an outright notice of the presence of a background check will discourage applicants who know that they will not pass the type of test that you require. This will result in applicants that will not qualify anyway to be removed from the hiring pool outright, saving you time in reviewing them yourself, and even saves resources on having a background check conducted on them in the first place.
Reasons for conducting a background check
There are various reasons on why you should conduct a background check. First, they would allow you to avoid hiring people that will potentially bring trouble to your company. The reputation of your employees extends to the reputation of the company, and vice versa. If you hired someone from the registered sex offenders list, for example, the reputation of your company will be hit once it comes to light.
Aside from protecting the reputation of your company, it will also protect your employees and business from potential harm. It will also reduce legal risks that can come from your own employees since failure to properly conduct checks on your new hires can lead to a lawsuit if they harmed one of their coworkers.
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