Posted

The hiring process can take a lot of time, effort, and energy – it brings stress to just about everyone involved. So after the resume reviews and interviews, do you really need to do a background check as well? Absolutely – it’s a part of due diligence that you cannot afford to overlook. What looks shiny and clean on the outside can have a bad core, and you don’t want that in your company. Make sure you do thorough (and legal) background checks for any new hire.

First of all, be sure you check all resume information and references. Make sure that the candidate really did work at all of the jobs he listed, and performed the duties he claimed he did. You may want to check his LinkedIn profile against his resume to check for discrepancies. If the person has been out of college for a while, it’s still a good idea to double-check and make sure he actually did receive a degree from his claimed institution of learning…several stories have come out in the past ten years of major executives lying about degrees and losing jobs or money as a result. And listen carefully when speaking to references – is there a tone in the voice or a certain word choice that sets off alarm bells for you? Don’t be overly suspicious and untrusting, but don’t ignore the warning, either.

If you feel you need to do a criminal or credit check, you should probably have a specific reason for doing so. Some states such as Oregon and Washington, for example, will only allow credit checks if it’s specifically applicable to the position, such as an accountant. You must always ask permission for a credit check. And be consistent in your plan for what kind of checks you do for candidates, even if not all candidates get the same ones (e.g., anyone working in medicine should have a clean drug screening/no history of substance abuse). Any sort of inconsistency in your checks can get you in hot water with a candidate whom you choose not to hire.

In order to do this thoroughly and properly, it might behoove you to work with a staffing firm such as PrideStaff Akron, who has a list of carefully prescreened candidates. This way you know everything is done correctly and it takes the worry off HR’s plate for conducting the check. Either way you do it, make sure to check the background of your candidates carefully and without violating the candidate’s privacy.

Background checks are necessary for today’s workplace, although the extent may vary. For guidance with checks, contact the staff at PrideStaff Akron to make sure you conduct yours correctly.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *