According to risk reduction giant Kroll, there are at least four good reasons to do background screening:
“A. Better safeguarding organizational assets. Employees have access to valuable physical assets and company information. Ensuring the honesty and integrity of the staff protects your organization and can minimize the risk from theft.
“B. Hiring the best employees or selecting the ideal applicants. A background check helps confirm that a candidate is qualified for your position through education, professional qualifications and/or employment experience. The check can also help in hiring trustworthy staff by highlighting any discrepancies on CVs or job applications.
“C. Avoiding long-term costs. Recruiting, bringing on board and training can be time-consuming and costly. Ensuring your new hire is qualified can reduce staff turnover. It can also alert you to potential red flags such as absenteeism or poor work performance.
“D. Maintaining your good reputation and building trust within your organization. The act of conducting background checks demonstrates your organization’s commitment to honesty and integrity – important values to you and your staff.”
More information here:
http://www.krollbackgroundscreening.com/news-room/news-articles/apac-article-background-screening/
As outlined above, preventing theft, selecting the most qualified and appropriate applicant for the job, avoiding the enormous expense of a bad hire, and maintaining your good reputation and level of trust within your organization make thorough background screening necessary for optimum success.
Besides checking education credentials and professional licenses, employment history, and conducting thorough interviews and background investigations, it’s wise to do these three things to reduce your risk of legal concerns and assure you’re operating honorably:
–Have the applicant sign a release agreeing to background checks before and during employment
–Assess their skills related to the position through multiple evaluation methods such as personality profiling tests and handwriting analysis
–Inform the applicant that the hiring decision is based on all factors combined, including the interview process, references, investigations including examining public records, and assessment methods
Copyright © 2010 Scott Petullo