The workforce is the greatest investment of any organization. Every new addition to the team has a direct impact on resources, money, and productivity. So, whereas an individual with a positive mindset and clean background could be an asset to the company, the opposite is also true. But, is it possible to identify the right candidate, and how? Yes! While interviews are designed to ascertain professional qualities, background checks can help verify education qualifications, past employment, and criminal history checks.
Background checks require trained eyes and minds, so most organizations hire qualified professionals to conduct background checks on recruitees. It is a quality investment that reaps benefits in the long run. If you are still unsure and want to skip this step, read on to know why it is essential to check a person’s previous record while hiring them.
Why do employers do background checks while hiring employees?
The straight answer is to find the right person for the right job. Unfortunately, with an increase in global hiring, the rate of job fraud also increased. Recruitees may make false claims or hide specific facts in their job applications. Here comes the importance of background checks to cross-verify the facts and find the truth.
Here are some reasons to conduct a pre-employment screening or background check.
To Find the Right person: Some specialized jobs require special qualifications and practical skills. So, it is essential to ascertain whether the candidate possesses such skills or qualifications before inking any agreement.
To Safeguard the organization’s interests: Large companies invest heavily in establishing a healthy work environment. Therefore, a person with malicious intention or criminal background is dangerous to the harmony and integrity of the organization.
To mitigate cybersecurity threats: Misuse of clients’ and customers’ data is very common today. Such incidents send a wrong signal and have a negative impact on the image of any organization. So, before trusting a new employee with sensitive information, a background check is a must.
To maintain legal compliance: Sometimes, it becomes mandatory to conduct background checks to comply with the local labor or employment rules.
However, a background check is a complex and laborious process that requires professional attention. If you think it is difficult to do on your own, it is better to contact reliable recruiting agencies like Meritos that can assist you throughout the hiring process.
5 Things to consider before hiring someone
By now, it is clear that a background check is a vital stage of the hiring process. But, what factors should you consider to verify before hiring someone? Here are the top 5 things to verify before recruiting someone in your organization.
● Employment history
To impress the new employer, candidates may make false claims about their past employment history. Most try to forge their tenure or past employment dates to cover a gap. So, pre-employment screening can help companies verify the previous roles of the recruitee or the reason why they left previous jobs.
● Educational Qualification
This check is imperative to verify the education qualification of the recruitees. Every degree mentioned in job applications is not always genuine. So, a background check is vital to verify the genuineness of the degrees.
● Criminal record
Every organization wants an employee with a crime-free background. With this check, the employer can verify any past criminal record or outstanding warrants associated with the new employee.
● Credit history
If the new employee’s role is important or involves handling funds, this check ascertains if the applicant is financially responsible. A bad credit history means the candidate doesn’t practice good financial habits or has too much debt.
● Social media use
Today, social media accounts tell plenty about an individual’s personality and personal life. So, this check can help Employers ascertain recruitees’ personal life and if they are suitable for the organization’s work culture.
Conclusion
Considering the mentioned facts, the significance of background checks while hiring is paramount. Anything unusual found in this check sends a red signal to the employer. The results of background checks in conjunction with personal interviews can help employers hire responsible employees.
However, it is a specialized task and can not be achieved without experts. Therefore, most companies outsource this task for complete peace of mind. Moreover, it is the best way to hire the right person for your organization.