Introduction
For any business, it’s vitally important to maintain the security of the internal and external environment. Many employers tend to judge a potential employee based on their resume and interview alone. This leaves a lot of room for misinformation and opportunity for misrepresentation of facts.
While it is commendable to trust one’s instincts completely, instincts tend to look over facts and history. In order to do so, one must carry out thorough security measures during the pre-employment phase. It is through this screening process that employers gain insight into the different aspects of the potential employee’s life that are likely to affect their future in the concerned organization.
What Is A Background Check?
A background check is a screening procedure done by an employer to check if a potential employee poses a threat. The most common and effective way to do a background check is to hire a private investigator. Private investigators are experienced professionals with a strong sense of research skills and capabilities that help carry out a background check effectively.
What Is The Importance Of Background Checks?
Not only does a background check safeguard the interests of a business, but it also has more benefits than what one may initially think. With the help of a private investigator, one can achieve a secure and safe work environment that allows a business to run efficiently.
- Shows Any Criminal History
One of the main reasons why a background check is done is to be aware of any criminal history of the job applicant. An employer has to be aware of any criminal charges against the potential employee. The charges can be minor and irrelevant or can be dangerous and serious criminal offenses, either way, a background check will bring forth any criminal history of the applicant and the nature of the crime (if committed). - Reduces Liability
After a person starts working for an organization, their actions reflect the value of the business as well. An ideal employee would act in a morally and ethically cohesive manner. The actions of the employees and the consequences of them have an effect on the business as well. For instance, if a company hires an employee with a long history of misdemeanors for a customer-facing role or hires a person with multiple DUIs as a delivery driver because of the lack of a background check, the company could be held liable for their actions. - Ensures A Safe Work Environment
The responsibility of maintaining a safe and secure environment for both internal and external customers falls on the business owner. Employees spend upwards of 8 hours every day at their workplace and in most cases, the only thing that they have in common with their colleagues is that they work together. If at all, any employee feels unsafe or goes through an unfortunate situation because of the actions of another employee, the entire staff would not feel comfortable with the work environment.
All of this can be avoided by hiring a private investigator that will carry out a thorough background check during the pre-employment phase and safeguard the life of the entire organization. - Showcases Employability
There are many factors that go into hiring an employee and a background check is a perfect method to elaborate on most of them. A background check isn’t just about criminal history, it is also about evaluating the employability of an employee.
With the help of a private investigator, one can understand the complete work history of an applicant and other valuable information such as credit history, lapses in driving record any unpaid debt, etc. All these factors, in one way or another, affect an individual’s ability to perform at work and with a background check, an employer can make a well-informed decision. - Verifies Educational Qualification
For many companies, the hiring process involves a minimum educational qualification requirement or some certifications that are relevant to the job being offered. In most cases, this step is simply to verify the honesty of the applicant, whereas in some cases these qualifications or certifications are a mandatory requirement and verification becomes a necessity rather than a formality. - Highlights Any Dishonest Claims
Many people tend to be a little flexible with the claims made on their resume and during the interview process. While some of them are white lies, some can have serious consequences as applicants are too liberal with their claims. Why? They believe that no one will check the claims made by them and they can simply figure things out once they get the job.
With a thorough background check, a private investigator can present facts that either backs the claims or dismiss them completely. This gives the employer an idea about the applicant’s honesty, ethics, and qualifications for a particular role. - Keeps The Customers Safe
For any business, the customer is king and rightfully so and it is the responsibility of an employer to make sure that the customers are not exposed to any unfortunate scenarios. All it takes is a background check to unearth any criminal history. No business would want to hire high-risk employees such as sex offenders or murderers and have them interact with the customers. - Gives Better Insight
As mentioned earlier, hiring an employee is not based on their work experience or their educational qualifications. When a business hires an employee, they are bringing in a completely new person into their organization, this employee has their own life outside of work. A private investigator with the help of a background check can provide a better insight into what the potential employee is like and point to certain factors that either increase or decrease their reliability for the job and provide a 360-degree approach to the hiring process. - Confirms The Decision
Hiring a new employee is not an easy task. Not only is it time consuming but it also costs money and effort to interview many and then shortlist a few. Even if everything seems right on paper and there is no reason to say no to a potential hire, there is always a feeling of doubt that gets left behind.
All an employer needs is a background check to put a stamp on their judgment regarding a particular candidate. Even with all the documents in hand and a stellar interview, it is often difficult to truly analyze a person, this is why a background check often comes in handy for employers and makes recruitment easier and more effective.
Bottom Line
While one can’t predict how an employee will perform at a job, it is only through their history that an employer can make an informed judgment about the employee’s future in a particular situation and role.
The only effective way to verify the history is to do a background check on the employee. The single best and most reliable way to do so is to hire a private investigator who will do all the legwork and provide the necessary information about an applicant’s history and behavior.