Are you an employer who is looking to fill a position at your company, but, worried about their past? Then North American Investigations can help. As a licensed and bonded private detective agency, we know exactly what information to find on your potential employee. We only conduct investigations with public records that are current and up-to-date. This includes but is not limited to past criminal records, arrests, convictions, bankruptcy filings, past and current addresses, general background information and more!
An Employee Background Check is Crucial to the Integrity of Your Business
Many employers are hesitant to perform background checks on potential employees because they are afraid of the unnecessary costs to perform these checks and out of fear of scaring away potential employees. However, the cost of background check services can far outweigh the consequences of not performing them, and potential employees should see background check investigations as a sign that your business is a place of credibility and thorough safety by performing these checks. There are many types of background investigations you can choose from including credit reports, criminal history searches, employment and education verification, social security traces, drug and alcohol screenings, and much more. The type of work the potential employee will do and the type of business you run will determine which types of checks you make, but here are eight reasons why at least some sort of background checking service is important:
You may be legally required to perform background investigations
Look up your state’s law to see what the requirements are as an employer when hiring new employees. If your business provides services to children, disabled persons, or juveniles, you are probably required by law to perform certain background checks before hiring employees.
Applicants Lie on Their Resumes
A resume could look impressive and an applicant might seem perfect in an interview, but according to business.com, up to 53% of applicants list falsities on their resume or interview. Validating a potential employee’s skills or experience can help save you time from attempting to train someone who simply has no experience to build upon. Applicants may also be lying about previous salaries in order to get you to make a higher offer.
You could be held liable for Negligent Hiring
If you hire an employee with a problematic background and that employee does something that results in damages to the company or to others, you could be held responsible for those damages if the court rules that you knew or should have known about that employee’s history and therefore enabled the situation which resulted in the damage or harm.
Avoid employee theft and potentially huge loss for your company
Most likely if an employee steals from your company, it won’t be the first time they have committed theft or other employee crimes in the past. Performing a background check can alert you to a past in theft whether they have been fired for it or convicted of it in the past.
Prevent violence in the workplace
If a potential employee has a history of violent or spontaneous behavior, it could be a red flag that they might cause problems in your workplace as well. Not only could this result in the injury of another one of your employees, but also it could lead to lawsuits and dissatisfaction in your employees if they feel unsafe or compromised in their workplace.
Consider your company’s reputation
Hiring excellent employees and making smart business decisions will help your business succeed and gain you positive and credible recognition. Keep in mind that negative information about your company can blow up quickly and cloud your company’s successes. Background checks can help alert you to employees that could bring a bad name to your company whether it is a serious criminal history, or a history of poor customer service. Even something as simple as a credit check can give you insight into a potential employee’s spontaneous or responsible behavior (though be sure you know your state’s laws about credit checks before attempting to perform one).
Drug or substance abuse
Even if a potential employee has excellent training, certification, and experience, if they test positively or have experience with drug use, sooner or later it could reflect in their quality of work. It is up to you as an employer to determine how strict you want to be about your drug screening policy, but especially if an employee has a history of coming to work under the influence or of poor performance, you may want to reconsider giving them a job.
Catch fraud before you become a victim
If an employee has an extensive history of filing workers compensation or other such claims against the company, be on the alert. Of course, there is nothing wrong with an employee filing claims, but if it seems excessive and repetitive, they could be looking to get some extra money from you. Be on the lookout.
When conducting background checks, keep in mind the following:
- Be consistent. Create equal hiring procedures so you can gain the same security for each employee and also so that you do not get sued for hiring discrimination.
- Remember that you must obtain an employee’s written consent before performing certain background checks. Do not compromise their rights.
- Do not overlook an employee for just one mistake. This is of course at your discretion, but it is easy to get carried away. Keep in mind that one mistake might not tell the whole story; it is more useful to be on the lookout for a pattern of behavior.
