A process that is standard for many businesses is that of a background check of their prospective employees. A background check is necessary in order to find out about your employee’s past and uncover any information that has not been previously disclosed through the interview process or on their application.
A background check can take many different forms, depending on the type of information you need to make an informed decision about the individual you are about to hire. A business that depends on the trust and fiduciary responsibility of their employees, such as banks, securities firms and other financial institutions, may need to conduct a credit report (under the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act) along with a criminal background check.
Conducting a criminal background check is an essential part of a business’s pre-employment hiring process. The process for conducting a check of this nature may involve a state investigative body, such as the state police, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Simple checks based on verification of a person’s name or social security number may be accomplished with a consent form and the use of an online service. However you intend to conduct background checks on your hires, it is important to understand the process in order to get the information you need on your workforce.
Conducting a Criminal Background Check for Employment and Licensing Purposes
Background checks like the ones done by https://checkr.com/background-check/criminal-records-check may be coordinated through a local jurisdiction as well as with the FBI, especially for certain positions or jobs that require a level of clearance. Once a consent form is signed by the prospective employee (which should be part of the pre-employment kit given to your interviewee or potential employee) the appropriate law enforcement agency will conduct a check for you. The outcome of the criminal history check can be one of two things – the report provided to your company by the state police or FBI may show a summary of prior arrests or convictions or come back with no criminal history found for the individual.
Additional Background Checks to Perform
Employee theft is estimated to cost employers upwards of $200 billion per year. A 2008 survey conducted by the National Retail Federation pegged losses attributed to employee theft at $15.9 billion for industry retailers. These number warrant financial and credit checks be performed in addition to a criminal background check. The purpose of a check into an individual’s financial background and credit history provides you with a sense of whether or not a person may be more likely to commit fraud or theft from you and your business.
A person with a large amount of debt relative to their assets or a low credit score may find themselves tempted to alleviate their financial burden when presented with opportunities while employed. As an example, securities industry professionals who have low monthly sales totals may have more incentive to commit fraud, breaches of fiduciary responsibility and theft than those with above average sales totals. A look at such a person’s credit history and financial dealings as part of the pre-employment process may help you determine if such a person presents a risk to your company.
Employing experts like a private investigator phoenix or Private Investigator Cardiff to help you with the pre-employment screening and background check process is a prudent business decision. It allows you to achieve the peace of mind in knowing that the proper level of due diligence has been performed prior to the final hiring decision and your company’s risk exposure is lessened.
