With a growing sense of fairness and sensitivity to discrimination, there is a movement toward assessing applicants’ skills and qualifications before considering their criminal history. This is known as fair chance hiring. However, employers need to consider the severity of the crime. Otherwise, one bad hire can lead to costly legal and reputational consequences for any company.
Background Checks
Thorough background checks can help you make better hiring decisions and protect your business from the financial, legal, and reputational risks of negligent hiring lawsuits. A criminal history check reveals any past arrests or convictions that may impact the ability of an employee to perform a job, particularly positions that require trust, access to assets or sensitive information, or contact with vulnerable populations. To conduct a criminal history check, your provider will verify the applicant’s identity using the information on the application and then search public databases and court records. To guarantee accuracy, some searches require specialists to contact employers and educational institutions to verify information manually. Additionally, your provider can conduct a work eligibility check to determine whether an individual is legally allowed to work. This type of check is particularly important for companies that hire workers who travel or work abroad. As the way we use criminal records continues to evolve, your screening process must change with the times.
Criminal Record Checks
A criminal record check is an essential part of any comprehensive background screening. It’s a critical factor to consider when hiring employees, especially those who will interact with vulnerable populations like children and elderly adults. A detailed and thorough criminal history records check will give you a complete picture of an applicant’s character and help ensure your business’s safety, security and reputation. It would be best to work with a provider who searches criminal records at the county and state level to provide the most accurate and up-to-date results. Convictions of fraud, embezzlement and violence can compromise your business’s reputation and put your clients and staff at risk. A background check that excludes these types of convictions will help you hire a team member who is likely to contribute to the success and growth of your company. In the past, past misdemeanors and felonies were automatically disqualifying factors for employment. But in today’s society, there’s a growing understanding that people with criminal records can make valuable contributions to businesses and communities, regardless of the severity of their offenses. It’s also important to remember that a person’s crime history should not be considered in isolation without context, including their job responsibilities and how old they were when they committed their offense.
Reference Checks
A reference check allows hiring managers to verify information on a candidate’s resume or job application. It also allows them to obtain insight into a candidate’s past performance and skills and helps employers forecast future on-the-job behavior. Often, candidates embellish or misrepresent their training, work experience, and other qualifications on their resumes and job applications. Using a reference check as part of your recruitment process can help reduce selection errors by checking with former supervisors and co-workers who can give candid feedback on the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. When you conduct a reference check, ensure the candidate has agreed to be contacted and that you have their permission to do so. It would help if you also took notes during the reference call. This will help you remember any positive or negative comments that the reference makes and specific examples that support those comments. Advocates of reference checks say that they can be useful in shielding you from verbal lashing if the new employee turns out to be a turkey by allowing you to argue that you “checked their references.”
Employment Verification
Misinterpreting criminal record information is a common mistake that can cost you a valuable hire. This can happen for several reasons, including that a candidate shares the same name and birthday as a convicted felon. In other cases, the background check company might have taken shortcuts that led to an inaccurate report. An employment verification service is one of the best ways to prevent this error. These services contact a candidate’s past employers and verify their work history. The results can include details about the company, dates of employment, and job titles. In addition, they can confirm whether a candidate’s work experience matches what is listed on their resume or application. These services typically charge a fee, but they are worth it. They can help you reduce hiring mistakes and save time during the hiring process. When selecting an employment verification service, look for one that complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and allows you to customize access to candidates’ records. A good hire can save your business money, time and resources. But, by embracing a hiring accuracy that includes more nuanced evaluations of candidates, you can increase your chances of finding a high-performing, dedicated employee whose work will benefit your organization for years to come.
