What Can Happen When You Don’t Perform Background Checks
The effects of making a wrong hiring decision can sometimes be devastating for a business and can even have a negative impact on your remaining workforce and your client base. Then there is the cost and time spent to find a replacement for the inept hiring decision that was made, and there is even the potential for a costly and time-consuming lawsuit should the employee that you failed to instate wisely, prove to be unethical or dishonest. Recent surveys have shown that almost 7 out of 10 company’s conduct criminal background checks on every potential employee, with some even conducting further checks on job finalists before they select them.
Here are a few tips of what to do and what not to do when vetting job candidates, to help prevent your company from facing any negativity from a poor hiring decision: Be robust and broad in your checks: Try to take in a wide range of details about the potential employee, instead of simply focusing on one aspect, such as whether they have a criminal record. Look at their driving history, their activity on social media and their education, for example.
Always adhere to the law: You must have the candidate complete a legal release form before you can take any action towards a background check, ensure that they are aware of their rights and give them a copy of the report once you have conducted it, along with any adverse action’s communications. Don’t even think about bending the rules: Following the rules to the letter is the only way to go when performing background checks as an employer, otherwise you could land yourself in a lot of trouble.
Take note that each sate and jurisdiction may have a different set of rules, so be sure to check with your legal counsel before you proceed. Try to be consistent: If you have more than one applicant for the position you are considering, then you must make certain that you conduct the same checks and searches on each one; not doing so could see you facing accusations of discrimination. Engage with your applicants: Don’t simply dismiss an applicant if something appears in their background check which may deem them unsuitable for the vacancy;
talk to them either over the phone or face to face, to be certain that no reporting errors have been made. Always use a professional, registered agency: You should never cut corners when it comes to conducting employee background checks; not only will the information that you are looking for often be found far quicker by a professional screening company, but they can prevent you from looking at data that may be in violation of state or federal law.
The ramifications of not performing background checks on job candidates are far too great to be ignored, and while you may not consider them important, they can be the difference between you finding an employee who is perfect for the job, and one who could ruin your business. Apollo Payroll is one of the premier small business payroll companies in Miami Beach and Coral Gables. Apollo Payroll is dedicated to delivering expert advice, responsive service, and highly accurate payroll processing and reporting to ensure the success and growth of the business that we serve. Our services include comprehensive payroll service in Miami and other cities in Miami-Dade County, employee background check and group health insurance in Coral Gables & Miami.