Checking the background of someone who wants to work for you is often as basic as reviewing references and job performance, but that’s a start not a finish. Not digging deeper can leave an employer with ramifications ranging from embarrassing conduct by an employee to outright criminality, quite possibly placing an employer in legal jeopardy.
Reasons for conducting a criminal background check include flagging any criminal convictions in an applicant’s past that could cause a company and/or its clients and current employees harm. Such a check may turn up violent or fraudulent behaviour, or perhaps nothing much at all. Whatever the case, an employer deserves and needs to know.
Background Checks Can Safeguard Employees and Workplace
One of the biggest reasons for conducting background checks is the implication for employee safety, writes Bridget Miller for HR Daily Advisor.
“Employers have an obligation … to provide a safe workplace, one that is free of known hazards. It can be easily argued that hiring an individual with violent tendencies, tendencies that could have been discovered with due diligence, would represent a disregard for that obligation,” she writes.
As such, many employers opt to perform at least a criminal background check on potential employees before finalizing any offer of employment.
As well as highlighting problem areas, background checks also provide peace of mind that comes with due diligence, writes Michael Klazema.
“You never want to wonder about whether or not you can trust an employee. Background checks can help you dodge common worries … and give you the peace of mind you need to run your business efficiently.”
Let an Expert Conduct the Background Check For You
Clearly, this is a task for the experts, such as those at Investigative Solutions Network (ISN), North America’s leading private security and investigative services firm. The ISN team has the experience and expertise to conduct criminal background checks, providing employers with detailed information that will assist them in finding the right candidate for the job.
As well as criminal background checks, ISN investigators specialize in education and employment verifications, employment reference reports, and social network reports.
“Conducting pre-employment screening on job applicants is extremely important in order to identify the most qualified and motivated candidate. By verifying past employment history, completing detailed reference checks and social networking reports, ISN is able to mitigate risk during the hiring process. This will help to ensure our clients choose the right candidate, lowering the cost of hiring and reducing the risk of liability,” says the firm.
For more information on ISN’s pre-employment screening services, click here or call 1-866-790 ISNI (4764).