Background Employment Screening Brings Out the Best During the Hiring Process

Hiring personnel have a tough job; they are tasked withSeeing The Whole Picture
selecting future employees that will add value to aTraditional methods for evaluating applicants rely on
company and help achieve its mission, vision, andresumes and interviews. Yet, these are first person
values. Plus, they have to do it without ever seeingsources, meaning that a person is describing
how these candidates actually perform in their jobs. Athemselves. Even references and recommendations
pre employment screen is the best tool that hiringare carefully selected by potential hires. The best way
managers have in order to evaluate applicants so asto really see the whole picture when it comes to the
to make the best hiring decision.hiring process is to use third person, impartial
Overall, background employment screening is morereferences and background employment screening
involved than simply verifying credentials and checkingmethods.
references. This process allows human resourcesEmployers can learn many aspects of a candidate's
representatives to learn about a candidate from thirdpersonality through a comprehensive pre employment
person sources and build a complete picture of anscreen. For example, a check on driving records would
applicant including both their personal and professionalbe necessary if a position required driving company
qualifications. The background employment screeningvehicles, but it also provides good evidence on the
process also mitigates risk for a company by findingapplicant's personality. Speeding tickets might be a sign
the right hire the first time and limiting legal liability.of running late to appointments or carelessness,
Finding Qualifications That Drive Businesswhereas a good driving record shows responsibility
Checking on a candidate's qualifications and credentialsand attention to details. Credit reports would be useful
during a pre employment screen serves manywhen hiring financial professionals and a criminal
purposes for hiring managers. Some credentials provebackground check should be run on employees that
that a person is trustworthy and knowledgeable in theirwork with customers, especially children or the elderly.
field, such as a certified accountant; can be trusted toLegal Liability
handle sensitive company information. Other times,Due diligence during the hiring process also limits a
they provide the theoretical and practical frameworkcompany's legal liability. Healthcare and education
for the technical work that many professionals provide.professionals are required by law to be vetted
More importantly, checking credentials also shows dueaccording to their criminal history. These requirements
diligence on the part of a hiring company. For example,also extend to employees that work with the country's
civil engineers have to be licensed as a Professionalinfrastructure, shipping, and border control. Recent
Engineer, or PE, to work on public projects like roads,cases have held companies liable if they do not do
bridges, or buildings. This fact also applies in-house; trulytheir homework, not to mention the damage done to a
qualified applicants will not put fellow workers andcompany from bad hiring decisions.
colleagues at risk through negligent actions on the job.In the end, background employment screening gives
Think of checking credentials during backgroundhiring personnel the tools to hire candidates that will
employment screening as a way to find the candidateadd value to their company.
that is best able to add value to one's company.