To Check or Not to Check People, There Really is no Question

How much can you say that you check people when you hire new staff? There are some fantastic companies out there whose screening processes have proven to be almost infallible. This kind of deep background screening program not only has psychological metrics but makes use of advanced software and other technological advancements. So if you have a program in place to check people and are seeking to improve it, here are some tips on improving it.

1.A safer and happier work environment.

As humans, we can represent a constant liability and a variable for risk. These risks can certainly be mitigated with the appropriate screening. To check people generally is one thing, but to identify character attributes that will help encourage a good working environment is another, and so a simple check becomes a thorough almost detective-like investigation.

2. Screening programs attract high-quality employees over time.

To check people thoroughly can create a circle of virtue and harmony, in which top quality applicants are recruited, thus increasing the general quality of work-place experience. Once this highly defined environment has been established, it will continue to attract better applicants in the future. In time, everyone benefits from a well-screened workforce.

3. Reduce the incidence of lawsuits with screening. Have all the proof.

Negligence in recruiting processes and retention lawsuits can be exhausting for companies and a detriment for their reputation, engendering a corrosive element to workplace culture. To check people also means to reduce the risks of dealing with adverse media or negative customer reactions as a result of employee action and retaliation. It also helps in establishing your defenses, by showing due diligence in case a situation goes awry.

4. It helps if you comply with regulations.

The Federal government counts many states where suppliers have high expectations of you when it comes to verifying your employees’ qualifications and screening processes. There are even cases where the law defines very explicit compliance requirements and you are expected to know them.

Compliance can be quite tricky for Startups because state and local mandates allow employers to exclude certain applicants with certain backgrounds that may be at odds with Federal anti-discrimination law (view the EEOC). In such a case, Federal law stands its ground, and your background checking straddles competing demands.

Screening helps you to check people in the first place and afterward gives you the documentation to prove you meet compliance and expectations.

5. Background checks essential to ensure an applicant fulfills the requirements for the job.

A standout benefit of background checking is that it confirms applicant credentials, education, and job history, proving thus, authenticity and exemplary behavior. Depending on the job, you can evaluate credit history, criminal records, even perform a detective-like investigation into personal relationships where there could be interesting and defining factors to take into regard.

6. Reduce the risk of employee fraud by screening.

Employee theft and fraud can derive at huge costs for companies. In retail operations, employee theft is usually the single largest source of inventory shrinkage. It is already difficult to predict human behavior, and we cannot have the luxury of ignoring it. Thus, prudence in these matters will avoid relying on intuition and emotions to assess the potential applicant.