Performing a comprehensive background check on a potential employee is an extremely important step in the hiring process. This step is taken to ensure the safety of the workplace, as well as ensure the job candidate is telling the truth about his or her qualifications. This simple process will certainly uncover red flags as well as improve the quality of a business’s hires.
HireRight has recently released their Annual Employment Screening Benchmark Report for 2015 which reveals that 56 percent of surveyed organizations said the primary benefit of background screening was a much better quality of hires. Another 86 percent stated that they had uncovered candidates who had misrepresented themselves or blatantly lied on their job applications. 49 percent of participants also stated that the background screening process created a more consistent and safe environment within the organization.
Despite these obvious benefits, the study also revealed that there are significant gaps in background checks performed by employers. For example, the study revealed that about 54 percent of surveyed organizations do not perform any additional post-hire screening. This can be a problem when employees are promoted or moved to a different position. If an employee is changing to a position where they will have more responsibility, such as a master key to the building, they should have a more specific or in-debt background check performed.
The study also showed that about 29 percent of organizations surveyed do not screen non-employees. This includes vendors, temps or even volunteers. Many times these individuals have the same level of access as a full-time employee. This means they should also be properly vetted before being allowed in.
Social Media Pitfalls
Along with failing to perform proper background checks, many employers are also improperly using social media to screen potential employees. Many states have now enacted laws that expressly forbid companies from looking into social media posts during the hiring process. However, the study revealed that a large number of companies are still incorporating social media into their background screening process. The survey showed that about 26 percent of survey organizations use social media in the screening process. One of the main objections to using social media is that an employer is exposed to information about protected classes such as race, religion, gender and age.
How to Properly Screen a Job Candidate
If you are concerned that your company is not properly screening job candidates, CheckPoint Screening can help. We can provide employers with many affordable background screening services that are compliant with laws and regulations. These services include criminal history check, credit check, drug testing, references and more. To ensure you are thoroughly protecting your business and current employees, be sure to thoroughly vet each candidate before hiring.