Reasons How Background Checks Can Improve Your Onboarding Experience
At some point in time, employers will have to fill an open position within their company. Before doing so, there are some important steps that should be taken. After posting the job description, attracting the appropriate talent, and sorting through applications, it comes down to selecting the best candidates. After conducting interviews and choosing potential candidates, employers choose the person they believe would be the best fit. Should the employer immediately hire the person they chose? They could, but if they fail to conduct a background check on the individual, it might affect the company later on. Also, conducting background checks will make your onboarding go much smoother. Conducting background checks is very important and should be done by all employers, no matter the industry. Recently, Dominion paired with PointHR and hosted a webinar called “Current Trends in employment Background Checks”. I want to share with you the top 3 reasons to conduct background checks before hiring employees.
They Highlight Criminal History
This is very important, especially in certain industries.By running a background check employers can see any convictions the person has had. They can make sure they are not hiring someone who may be dangerous, unreliable, or untrustworthy. Background checks may also reveal any traffic infractions or tickets the person has had. If the position requires driving a company vehicle, then this becomes imperative. This is because if the company hires someone with a record, then it automatically makes the company reliable.
They Protect the Organization
As I mentioned before, not conducting background checks before hiring new employees can have a negative effect on the organization. Conducting background checks is considered a preemptive measure to ensure the integrity of an organization and the safety of the employees. Certain kinds of information revealed in background checks can help an employer know where to allocate an employee and where not to. For example, someone who has a record of substance abuse would not be appropriate to work at a hospital or a pharmacy. Someone who has a criminal record would not be appropriate to work as a security guard, and so on.
They Verify Education
Along with employment history, background checks are commonly used to verify people’s education background. It isn’t uncommon for people to occasionally lie on their resumes, or they exaggerate some things to seem more attractive to employers. By running a background check on candidates, employers can make sure that they have the degrees and professional certifications they claim they do. If by any chance the employer finds out that the information provided by the applicant is incorrect, then they can rule out that candidate and move on to the next. After all, they wouldn’t want to hire a dishonest person.
There are much more reasons why background checks are important. Whether your company does them or not, it is important to know and understand that they are liable and responsible for anything that happens with their employees. Keep in mind that there is some information that requires consent from the applicant, such as medical history and credit score. Never run a report containing this information without consent, as it may result in a lawsuit or other legal repercussions. After you have successfully run a background check on your applicants, you may begin your onboarding process. You will notice how much easier this process will be, as you will be able to trust your new employee. If you are interested in seeing how Dominion can make your onboarding process a seamless transition, click here.
Source:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-important-reasons-conduct-pre-employment-check-alan-larkin
