How Background Checks May Help Employers
HUMAN RESOURCES
ARTICLE
06/15/2017
Pre-employment,
post-offer screening is considered a best practice. It can help employers
determine the best candidates, better ensure the candidate meets minimum
standards, and can help mitigate future risk. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported
that one study conducted by CareerBuilder found 54% of small businesses had
noted a lie on an applicant's resume. While background checks can help in
highlighting issues from a candidate's past, they don't necessarily provide
insight into future and ongoing threats. Here's what business leaders should
consider when incorporating background screening into their human capital
management.
Consider Implementing Hiring Checks for
Candidates
Many companies are
already conducting pre-employment, post-offer background screening of
candidates. A focus on reducing potential liability and improving the quality
of your hiring starts with a commitment to pre-hiring screening. Solutions may
include:
·
Checking references and verifying the
accuracy of resumes;
·
Conducting criminal background checks where
permitted under law;
·
Conducting in-depth background checks where
permitted under law;
·
Running credit checks where permitted under
law; and/or
·
Evaluating whether social media background
checks or other advanced screenings are appropriate.
Employers
must comply with the applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations
regarding background screening.
If
you're not conducting pre-hire background checks, it may be time to start. If
you haven't evaluated whether your current background screening process is
thorough enough, now is an opportunity to reassess.
Communicating with Employees about Background
Screening
In
order to run a background check utilizing a Consumer Reporting Agency,
employers must comply with the applicable guidelines in the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FCRA) and applicable state laws. The FCRA includes several
requirements, including but not limited to, a signed consent for the background
screening. If permitted in your jurisdiction and where appropriate for your
industry, you may consider whether to include an evergreen clause in your
release, which would allow your organization to continuously access this
information. Employers are encouraged to discuss with legal counsel before proceeding.
Conducting employee background
checks, primarily pre-employment, post-offer
checks, help employers mitigate risk and more effectively identify the best
candidates.
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