Why the Need for Background Checks?

Cherie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:56 +0000

What Is Background Checking?

As the name implies, it is the process of scrutinizing the personal history of a person. This is done by scanning official and commercial records. In the past, one could do a background search by enlisting the aid of the local police. Motor vehicle reports were a prime method of obtaining at least some information. Today, private companies have compiled huge databases of public records and they offer to do background search on people for a fee. The idea is get this done for the consumer at the lowest price possible.

Background checking is most often done when a person applies for a job. Let’s face it, employers want to hire people they can trust. They rely on these people to handle their merchandise and cash receipts. They don’t hire them to walk away with it!

The necessity of a background check is even more pronounced when a person applies for a sensitive position, such as jobs which will put them in close contact with children and the elderly. People who are applying for government posts often need security clearances and this a whole different level of checking backgrounds.

The Why

Consider these figures and you will see why it is important for companies and the government to employ background checks:

1 in 32 grownups in the United States has a criminal record
There are about 6 million threats of violence in the workplace every year
2 million workplace assaults occur every year
13 people die every week as a result of workplace violence
36 percent of applications are falsified

With these facts, it is not surprising that companies do a background check on applicants. Imagine those jobs which impact you occassionally. Who is this cable guy/gal? Can I trust them in my home? Do I need to be around them as they do their work? Are they potentially violent? If I turn my head, will they walk-off with anything? Actually, you are putting your trust in the cable company and hoping that they ran a background check on this employee.

The Why Not

While there are a lot of valid reasons for companies to check the background of applicants they are interested in hiring, there are also several factors why some companies forego this process. One reason is that it takes some time and money to do a background check. Thus, small companies tend to give up background checking.

On the other end of the spectrum, some employees are against background checking believing that it is a form of invasion of privacy. Another reason being put forward by people opposed to background checking is that people might not be able to land a good job for doing something stupid during their youth. Another could be the belief that a background check could result to illegal discrimination based on the past of a person or the people he or she is associated with in the past. Discretion is the better part of valor!

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Pre Employment Screening

Rick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:11:49 +0000

Run a Background Check on a Potential New Hire. Pre employment screening is an essential hiring activity for most employers, who prefer avoiding lawsuits and hiring someone that is prone to or has made mistakes in the past. Sometimes as a professional investigator I am asked to do a pre-employment screening on top executives.

The main reason Pre-employment screenings are done is not only to avoid lawsuits but also results in a safe workplace, by considerably reducing the risk of hiring an ex-con. That is not to say most don’t slip through the system, but it does alleviate some of the trepidations involved when hiring teachers, bank tellers, and other ethical and secure level positions.

According to professional research, about 25 percent of the job applicants lie about something in their past or on their resume. Many times, the lies are normally regarding previous work including positions work to education accomplishments, while sometimes the lies are graver including the misrepresentation of monetary accomplishments made, or reason for leaving another job. Sometimes Professional investigators are hired in order to minimize confrontational terminations if that issue would ever arise.

The Importance of Pre Employment Screening

Employers usually perform pre employment screening to put off the applicants who have something to hide. One thing I noticed when dealing with pre-employment screening while in the field as a private investigator is that people with falsified qualification or criminal backgrounds will not submit a job application, if they expect that a pre employment screening will be performed.

Pre employment screening, also displays due attentiveness. It demonstrates that the employers have taken all the necessary precautions to get rid of improbability in the hiring process. Additional pre employment screening also promotes honesty among the applicants at the time of the interview.

The majority of employers also carry out background checks as a part of their pre employment screening procedure. These checks involve the examination of the applicant’s background, comprising of criminal record history, educational achievements and credit history. Some employers also maintain psychometric testing and drug testing, as a component of the pre employment screening process. This process includes scrutinizing a person’s academic records, credit records, driving records, workers payment details, criminal records and personal references.

All employers looking to perform a pre employment screening process have to apply for the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to attain an individual’s background details. This Act is not just limited to credit reports, but additionally includes the consumer reports.

However, pre employment screening does not assure the discovery of every dishonest applicant. Nevertheless, it reduces the probability of an employer, mistakenly hiring a bad employee. Examining the background of a prospective applicant will definitely, minimize the threat of careless hiring and lower the legal proceedings involvement.

These days, it is possible to out source pre employment screening to private investigation firms that deal completely with this issue. These professional investigators take about six days on an average to give a general report on the applicant.

Today, small business owners have the opportunity to cut through the red tape, shorten the process, and save a lot of money in the process. For less than $40, they can now compile significant data about potential hires. Certainly more than enough data to meet their needs. My recommendation is Net Detective, a service owned by HD Publishing, Inc.

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Why the Need for Background Checks?

Pre Employment Screening