As your company grows, you’ll have to acquire new talent to keep up with demands. Corporate job postings get roughly 250 applications per listing. While you may be impressed by all the resumes coming in, you’ll still need a surefire way to validate a potential employee’s credentials. Here’s where employment background checks come in handy.
While employers don’t want to assume candidates are lying on their applications, a background check is an excellent way to protect your company and employees from wrongdoing. After reviewing an applicant’s resume and conducting a few interviews, a background check can be the final step to solidify the hiring process.
What Is a Background Check?
According to the ScoutLogic background screening experts, a background check is there for companies to search a potential employee’s criminal history, education level, and several other factors before offering a position. Employers may need to conduct deeper searches for specialized positions to validate a candidate’s competency to do the job. For example, if someone is applying to be a financial advisor, a company may have to look at their personal financial history.
However, not all background checks are created equal. Some companies only need to check for criminal history, where others need a more detailed report. That’s why it’s best to work with a third-party checking company with experience in your industry.
Why Are Background Checks Important?
Ensures Competency
For many companies, background screening is the best way to ensure candidates have adequate experience to perform the tasks the position requires. While most people are truthful about their experience and education, some people may have discrepancies on their resumes to get ahead of other applications. The current job market is extremely tight, and employers need to be extra careful about putting all the trust in their applications.
Improved Workplace Safety
Keeping your employees safe should always be a top priority for a company leader. As a manager or owner, you have several responsibilities for protecting the well-being of your staff, customers, and anyone who interacts with your business.
If you hire someone with a criminal record and assault someone in your business, your company may be liable and could even face a lawsuit. Although a background check can’t screen out every potential threat, it’s an excellent way to find safer candidates.
Reduced Hiring Costs
Employee turnover can get expensive quickly. If you don’t hire the right people, you’ll have to spend more time and resources scouting for new talent. What’s more, you’ll need to spend time training and integrating your new employees into your company culture. A background check can help prevent you from hiring the wrong person. Furthermore, checks reduce your chances of hiring a bad employee that can lead to a wide range of problems, such as:
- Theft
- Increased insurance costs
- Absenteeism
- Low productivity
- Higher chances of accidents
Using a third-party background checking company can narrow your applications, meaning you only spend time working with the right candidates. Not only will you protect the integrity of your company culture, but you’ll save a ton of money on recruiting new employees.
Final Thoughts
No doubt, background checks can be extremely beneficial for your company. They can help streamline the hiring process and give you peace of mind when growing your business.
Remember, consult with a professional background screening company to ensure you’re checking for the right information. There’s also information you’re not allowed to check for, such as bankruptcies after 10 years, civil suits, etc.
