5 Things You Should Know About Pre-Employment Background Checks

These efforts pay off with a solid new hire that you can justify to top-level executives and give assurance that your employee will be a great fit. Before moving a candidate along in your hiring process, here are five things you should know about pre-employment screening.

1. A Consistent Approach Protects You and Your Company

While you can quickly enlist help to investigate new or existing employees, pinpointing select candidates for reviews leads to allegations of discrimination. Once word gets out through popular recruiting sites, your company’s reputation will take a hit.

Devise guidelines for each step during your pre-employment background check. Define how many past employers or a length of time that you’ll examine. Then determine which type of background screening is needed for different positions or job levels.

2. The Right Screenings Match the Job Position

Although any applicant’s history benefits from a look at a comprehensive background check, you may save some money by tailoring your reports according to the job. For example:

• You may not require driving records for remote contractors, but credit or criminal screenings will provide extra confidence in those handling sensitive data.
• Advanced screenings, like a federal criminal record search or international assessment, offer information for those hiring high-level staff who will access financial information.

3. Complete and Accurate Records Deliver Vital Insights

You spend a lot of time sifting through cover letters and resumes. After a while, it’s easy to miss a detail or chalk a discrepancy up to an error. However, documenting each aspect of your hiring process ensures a consistent and fair approach. From criminal records to contacting past employers, it’s crucial to develop fact-based insights.

For instance, during your employment verification process, make every effort to get ahold of previous employers. If you’re unable to obtain information, leave a note listing the times, dates and communication methods.

4. Accredited Services Increase Efficiency

It’s easy to lose track of time when hiring a new employee. The best applicants often have several job offers. The length and approach of your process affect how they view your company. Background check services provide a seamless plan starting with the waiver and authentication. Professional organizations benefit you by:

•         Demonstrating FCRA compliance all of the time
•         Being trustworthy and accredited by the BBB
•         Allowing you to access reports without a subscription

5. Follow-up is Critical to the Process

Completing an online background check is only one step of the process. It’s essential not to make assumptions about the findings. Instead, follow-up with the job candidate during an interview for further insights. Once you receive your reports:

•         Compare an applicant’s resume or application with data from your screening.
•         Review results and understand what the different categories consist of.
•         Ask interview questions to clarify any unclear discrepancies.

Explore Options for Pre-Employment Background Checks

By setting your guidelines, following a process and being consistent, you’ll improve your rate of high-quality hires while also creating an experience that represents your company’s mission and values. A pre-employment background check delivers more than peace of mind. It’s a good use of resources. Get started today to learn about solutions that support your business.