If you’re looking to hire an applicant for an open position in your company, it should be the right time to conduct a background check.
With the rising crime rate and drug problem, you for sure would not be comfortable hiring someone you don’t know especially if your prospect is not recommended by someone you trust. Peace of mind only comes when you have all the critical information you need before making a hiring decision. So to make sure that you have all the pertinent information beyond what your applicant has provided you with, you must do a background check.
Background verification is an important tool you can have to be able to make a good hiring decision. While it is not a guarantee for a job candidate’s attitude, actions and effectiveness as a worker, it is an effective way to discover past problems which can serve as your hiring red flags. But not all background checking processes are able to deliver good results. Errors in the hiring system are possible and these can influence the outcome of your objectives. As a matter of principle, you must make sure that a seamless background verification procedure is embedded into your hiring process.
Here are specific mistakes you must avoid when doing background checks:
1. Not having a consistent background verification policy in place
Background checks must be undertaken on all candidates that are considered for a position that requires verification. Running a background check on one candidate and not verifying another candidate for the same position would constitute discrimination. This may not make you liable for breach of some statute but it increases your chances of hiring the wrong candidate.
2. Relying solely on records from a national criminal history database
The records in national criminal history databases may not be updated regularly. If you rely on them for the criminal history of a job applicant, chances are you’ll be receiving a report that is not up to date.
One of the best ways employers can do to get reliable background check results is make an independent assessment of courts in localities where your applicant has lived or worked for at least seven years. This will give you an idea what courts to go to in order to verify an applicant’s criminal or civil records.
3. Wrong interpretation of employment laws
Certain laws need to be observed or followed during the background verification process. It is imperative for persons conducting background checks to have a good understanding of such rules and regulations. Hiring managers should know their extent and limitations on the use of background check reports.
4. Using social media as source of information
Social media does not guarantee a person’s true identity and history. While it is easy to harvest personal information from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, this might not be accurate. A self-check from the candidate could serve as a better alternative to background taken from social media.
5. Failure to verify educational background
Most employers direct focus on the criminal and previous employment verification without putting much weight on an applicant’s educational background. By relying solely on information provided by an applicant, you are prone to commit a bad hiring decision.
6. Not doing background checks on temporary employees, vendors, and contractors
Vendors, contractors and temporary employees have access to your portals. They do business with your company interact with your permanent employees. Many of them can even gain access to certain confidential information and trade secrets. You must check their background to get thorough information about them. This makes easy to trace when they commit mistakes in your company.
7. Relying on information provided by automated software.
Computers and software effective source of information but they can’t be as reliable as humans in the area of background screening.
8. Failing to get the candidate’s permission
The background verification process is a regulated resource. Even if you have the good intention of hiring an individual, you should ask his/her permission to conduct a background check to avoid legal consequences. Failure to secure approval from the applicant in question can invalidate background check results.
As an employer or hiring manager, you should take into consideration a number of important things. One of these things is to always inform your candidate of your intention to do a background verification process on them. This will assure you of a smooth legal operation and ability to hire a brand new employee with unquestionable qualification and background.
Contributed byhttps://edgeinformation.com/
