If you are recruiting for new staff then a background check is absolutely essential. The reasons behind why we carry out a background check on new employees is so that we can make sure that they are exactly who they say that they are, and also to help influence our decision as to whether or not to hire them. There are many different aspects of a background check and without question the most important of those is a criminal background check. Let’s take a look at what checks are involved in a background check and why you need to place a lot of focus on the criminal aspect in particular.
Background Checks
When you use a service to carry out background checks you will be able to receive information on the following details;
Credit Check – Important if the candidate is required too deal with money.
Education Check – To ensure that what they have declared on the application form is correct.
Driver’s Check – Giving information on driving history, any penalties or legal violations and driving convictions if there are any.
Criminal Check – Any convictions at county, state or federal level will be discovered.
Violence
When it comes to the criminal check this is so important, not because you shouldn’t hire ex-cons, but because if you do you should know all about their history. Let’s say that you have a candidate who has a history of violence which they have not declared, and you miss through failure to do a background check. Now imagine if that person assaults a member of your staff, something which perhaps could’ve been avoided if you had informed yourself better. This would damage the credibility of your company and it could also get you into legal trouble. .
Company Reputation
Not every criminal should be allowed to integrate into society again and there are some crimes which are simply too heinous to overlook. Your business is important and so is it’s reputation. As you can imagine the men and women who commit these terrible crimes, in spite of the fact that they have served their time, will not declare the information when they fill out an application form. If it should come to light however that someone has been working for you who has such a history, the reputation of your company could nosedive and many customers may not wish to return.
Honesty
Hiring someone who has a conviction behind them is completely up to you but should the criminal check show information which the candidate has not volunteered, it could call their character into question. Surely even if you are open to hiring criminals, you need potential or current employees to at least be honest about who they are and what their history is. If they do not offer up this information then you may change your mind about hiring them, not because of their criminal history, but because of their lack of integrity.
Make sure that you pay close attention to the criminal check which you’ll carry out.
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