Whenever there is a vacant position in a company, the human resource department goes through the same process to fill the position. Firstly, they would have to publish the job description on paper or online to reach out to individuals looking for a job. Upon receiving applications, the employer will then sort out the applicant pool to find potential candidates for the job and to schedule their interviews. The interviews, whether on-the-phone or in-person, will supply the employer with information so they can assess if the applicant suits the job.
That?s how the employment screening process usually goes; however, one important step was forgotten: the background check. If it seems quite excessive to go through that extra step, here are four reasons that might change your mind before you hire a prospective employee.
Highlights If There Are Any Criminal Records
Criminal records are the top reason why pre-employment background checks are being run. Of course, you?d want to hire only the best people in your company, and sometimes the existence of criminal records help you with deciding.
Having a criminal record does not necessarily mean that the applicant will not be hired, though. Reportedly, 90% of employers would automatically disqualify applicants who were convicted of crimes related to violence, theft, or dishonesty. These charges imply that the applicant may be dangerous, unreliable, or not suitable for hiring which is a red light.
The number is a lot lower if there were only minor infractions found; only 32% would disregard your application. An employer has the right to possess this information to decide in the best interest of the company.
Flags Past Infraction
Alongside the criminal history, some background checks will also flag driving records, credit histories, or other relevant information. Some may argue that several license suspensions or some missed payments and debt have nothing to do with how the applicant will perform their job.
However, if the position entails driving or handling of money, this may be an important deciding factor. For example, you hire a driver without running a background check, and he gets into an accident because he was driving under the influence. You later find out that this was not his first DUI charge when he was apprehended by the police. If only you had run a background check, you could have avoided this situation completely.
Verifies Education and Certification
For some positions, such as managerial roles, the employer sometimes requires the applicant to be of at least a certain educational attainment and have specific qualifications. Around 75% of employers would reject applicants who have lied on their resumes about their educational attainment.
If you think that altering their educational history just to land a job is uncommon, you?d be surprised at the number of people who lie about their degrees or diplomas. James Morris, the president, and chief operating officer of EmployeeScreenIQ, claims that they come across fake degrees and diplomas easily a hundred times per week. With that sheer amount, you should already be convinced to do a background check on your applicants.
The Honesty of the Candidate
Everything just boils down to the honesty of the applicant in their resume and their interviews. In addition to the 75% mentioned above, 44% would disqualify applicants who lied about their dates of employment, and 34% would reject those who altered their job titles. Background checks involve calling former employers to confirm the information on their resumes. A dishonest applicant is not someone you want to hire.
In addition to that, 75% of employers would ask potential employees to divulge any criminal history before they even run a background check. Usually, when the applicant lets their potential employer know about their circumstances and perhaps do a little explanation, it might do better than when the employer finds out by himself after the background check.
To help you sort through the pre-employment background check and to learn more about the different qualifications in hiring an employee for your business, you can check this business?blog.
Conclusion
Employment screening takes up a lot of time, effort, and money. You need it for the betterment of your whole team, work, and company. From here, you want to hire the right person on the first try to save wasted resources if you find yourself in the screening process again.
Conducting a background check also confirms if the applicant were truthful and transparent in their resume and in their interview which are some characteristics you?d want in all your employees. You would also want to keep the safety in the workplace and integrity of the company in case you run into an applicant with a dodgy history.
If you want to avoid all of the complications that could arise without getting a background check on your applicants, you better start upgrading your employee screening process to get a comprehensive profile of your potential staff. After all, better be safe than sorry!
