How Background Screening Can Streamline the Hiring Process

No matter the seniority of the position, hiring suitable employees is vital if you want to maintain a productive work environment and enlist the right skills. However, 81% of individuals lie during job interviews, so how can you better ensure your recruitment is effective? The answer lies in conducting timely background checks.

Pre-employment screening can protect you against inefficiencies, losses, and even lawsuits. In this article, we’ll see how such checks streamline the hiring process.

What’s Involved in Pre-Employment Screening?

A thorough background screening can reveal potential employees’ reliability, experience, and moral conduct:

• An identity check ensures the candidate has provided the correct biodata and can legally work in your state or country. 
• A criminal history check searches millions of criminal records to reveal a candidate’s criminal history.
• An employment verification ensures that the information provided by the candidate in their resume and the interview was factual.
• Education verifications ascertain the accuracy of information provided in the resume and ensure that the candidate has the education and qualifications your job requires.
• A credit history check gives you insight into how candidates have managed credit and financial responsibilities in the past.
• A professional license check is necessary if your company requires accredited certificates or government-granted licenses to ensure that the candidate has the necessary certification.
• Obtaining driving records is best practice for roles that involve driving to best understand your candidates’ driving history, including license status.
• Drug screening is encouraged as well to better ensure a safe and productive work environment.

You can always get a custom package tailored to your organization’s unique needs!

Such processes ensure that the individuals you hire are qualified, reliable, and ready for their roles. This can significantly improve the quality of hire and retention rates. You’ll also be ensuring compliance with laws and protecting yourself against negligent hiring lawsuits.

How Background Screening Helps with the Hiring Process

If your team has a structured and standardized screening process, you’ll avail of the following benefits:

1. Hire Qualified People

The most significant benefit of conducting background checks is that it ensures you hire appropriate people for the role.

The yearly cost per bad hire was $14,900 in 2017 alone, and it has only gone up afterward. And when such employees are fired, the cost of onboarding a new one is above $3,500. So, you must make the right decisions, to begin with. Background screening can enable that and act as a time-saving hiring strategy.

By checking your chosen candidates’ certification, educational qualifications, and employment history, you protect your organization against potentially hiring inadequately skilled individuals who can be detrimental to your workplace’s productivity and reputation.

2. Uphold Your Legal Hiring Obligations

When you hire someone, you must ensure your compliance with EEOC and OFCCP regulations. You’re also legally obligated to ensure your employees won’t harm your staff or clients. For instance, you can be held liable if you hire a healthcare professional without knowing their license was canceled and they harm a patient. Similarly, if you end up hiring an individual with a history of aggravated assault or substance abuse and they harm someone from your staff, you can face a negligent hiring lawsuit.

3. Protect Your Company Against Damages

Here are some employee theft statistics that may shock you:

• 75% of employees have stolen from their employers at least once. 
• 75% of US businesses are affected by employee theft.
• 30% of business failures are caused by employee theft.

Hiring the right people is your first opportunity to defend yourself against data breaches, theft, fraud, and reputational damages. In addition, you protect yourself against data breaches and cybersecurity threats by conducting the pre-employment screening. Remember that insiders are involved in 57% of data breaches, out of which 61% are not in high-level positions, so screening all individuals you hire matters. 

Given such circumstances, finding out a person’s bad credit history showing financial irresponsibility or significant debt, previous theft or cyber-crime charges, and references from their old employers on time is a great start to protecting your company.

Why Work with a Background Check Provider?

A professional background check provider will have a standardized process for vetting all potential employees equally. They also have access to the necessary databases, so working with them will grant you quick and thorough results. Additionally, they make sure you stay compliant with state laws while background screening candidates. So, they can support your team appropriately to ensure you recruit the people most qualified for the job.

What causes a red flag in background checks?

A red flag in an employee background check is any information that raises concerns about a candidate’s suitability for a position. This can include, but is not limited to:

• Criminal history.
• Employment gaps or inconsistencies.
• Gaps in education.
• Negative references.
• Discrepancy in the documents.
• Social media activity: Inappropriate or offensive content on social media can be a red flag.
• Poor past employment history.
• Verification issues.

Endnote

An organization’s employees can easily make or break its business, profits, and reputation. In this day and age, where committing fraud and escaping official notice is easier than ever before, hiring staff based on their resumes and interviews is no longer enough. Make sure you enhance your hiring efficiency by enlisting the help of background check providers to get pre-employment screening to protect your company’s future.

FAQs

Why is Background Screening Important in the Hiring Process?

Background checks are important when hiring. They help make sure people are who they say they are and have the skills they claim. This keeps the company safe from problems. It stops the company from hiring people who might cause trouble, hurt the company’s name, or slow down work.

What are the Key Components of a Background Check?

Key components include:

• Identity Check: Verifies the candidate’s biodata and legal work eligibility.
• Criminal History Check: Searches criminal records for any criminal history.
• Employment Verification: Confirms the accuracy of the candidate’s employment history.
• Education Verification: Ensures the candidate’s educational qualifications are accurate.
• Credit History Check: Reviews financial responsibility and credit management.
• Professional License Check: Confirms the validity of required certifications and licenses.
• Driving Records: Assesses driving history and license status for roles involving driving.
• Drug Screening: Helps ensure a safe and productive work environment.

What are Red Flags in Background Checks?

Red flags in background checks are indicators that a candidate might not be suitable for a position. These include:

• Criminal history.
• Employment gaps or inconsistencies.
• Negative references.
• Discrepancies in documents.
• Poor social media conduct.
• Financial irresponsibility.
• Issues in verifying past employment or education.

Why Should Companies Work with a Professional Background Check Provider?

Working with a professional background check provider ensures a standardized, thorough, and legal process for vetting candidates. Providers have access to essential databases and resources, offering quick and accurate results. They also ensure compliance with state laws, helping companies hire the most qualified individuals.