Guidelines for Employees’ Background Checks
A potential employee’s curriculum Vitae (CV) tells a story. But does it tell the whole story? Is the story accurate?
Employees’ Background checks involve a systematic process where an employer conducts thorough checks on candidates to ensure that they are who they claim to be.
Employees’ Background checks involve a systematic process where an employer conducts thorough checks on candidates to ensure that they are who they claim to be.
Hiring an employee can be a complex process and to ensure that you hire the best candidate, it is essential to take certain precautionary measures to prevent the company from future reputational damage and any financial losses resulting from negligent hiring.
Pre-employment screening is important as it is the best way to determine whether a candidate holds the right skills to fit the position, and this creates quality hiring in a Company. The checks also assist in reducing the risk of criminal activities in a company such as violence, drug abuse, and theft. By conducting background checks, recruiters assist in creating a safe working environment for employees, and customers alike.
Background checks help in saving time for the recruiter as it ensures quality hiring in the first phase, it also helps to reduce costs for advertising, interviewing, and training new hires. Further, by conducting employee background checks, an employer reduces the risk of adverse publicity which may result in damaging a company’s reputation by hiring the wrong candidates.
There are several areas to be covered when conducting employees’ background checks and include but are not limited to:
- Resume screening – Counterchecking whether the information provided by the candidate in the resume is
accurate. - Criminal background checks – This helps to confirm the general reputation of a candidate and checks for
any criminal misconduct and litigation. - Education history check – This helps to verify education details provided by an applicant, it involves
verifying the institution attended, dates of attendance, program of study, and awards received to curb
incidences of qualification certificates fabrication by applicants. - Verify personal identification documents of a candidate – This implies verification of National
identity number verification; mobile number verification and address verification, it helps in curbing
cases of identity theft while hiring. - Employment references – Confirming details provided regarding previous employment and referees can
attest to a candidate’s skills and experiences. - Credit check – It is essential to verify the financial credibility of a candidate, especially for roles
that require a financial duty. - Social Media screening – This helps in identifying any illegal, violent behavior portrayed by a
candidate on his/her social media platforms.
In conclusion, when conducting Employee Background Checks, an employer should ensure that the process is done in compliance with the relevant laws by seeking consent from the candidate, in writing. An employer must also have a clear reason for collecting an employee’s data, ensure that the employee’s data collected is secure, and finally, the employee should be given access to the collected data.
Conducting proper pre-employment screening on candidates is essential and Riskhouse International is here to assist hiring Companies to make a confident and well thought hiring decision.