Safety First

For more than a year, many of us have had remote workforces. Businesses are finally reopening and bringing workers on-site again. If you plan to bring your team together on-site, you have a number of steps ahead of you to ensure a smooth, secure transition. An essential component is doing everything possible to maintain a safe workplace by background screening new and returning employees.

Check ALL The Boxes

Some people think of screening as a simple ‘check the box’ action. They may not put much thought into why background checks are run and the numerous benefits they provide.

Running comprehensive screening packages helps organizations check all the boxes - such as:

Due Diligence: Hiring a candidate who has a serious criminal history can create unnecessary risks. Overlooking a previous conviction can lead to someone getting hurt, products being stolen and negligent hiring lawsuits. Background checks help you avoid individuals who are likely to be a liability and demonstrate you’re taking precautions to protect others.

Compliance: Government or industry standards may require your organization to background check all personnel. By using a robust screening package, you will meet and exceed those compliance requirements.

Proactive: Security Background checks typically contain County Criminal Court Searches, but you can broaden the scope by utilizing Nationwide Criminal Database Searches, locate federally prosecuted offenses with Federal Criminal Court Searches and rule out the possibility of sex offender records with a National Sex Offender Search. Each one adds a deeper layer of security and value.

Insurance Savings: In many cases, you can lower your insurance costs by screening your workforce.

Building Strong Teams: Background checks can verify whether a job seeker has the education, work history or licenses they need to succeed. They empower you to make informed decisions and identify ideal candidates.

Reducing Turnaround: When you hire people who are well-suited for their positions it benefits the entire group and encourages everyone to stay.

SHRM Recommendations

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) recently released some excellent suggestions on the topic of background screening. They recommend that employers establish written policies that cover:

• Informing applicants that job offers are contingent on the results of a background check.
• Explaining how the screening process works from start to finish.
• Designating HR representatives that are responsible for reviewing completed reports, assessing potentially negative data and following FCRA requirements for adverse decisions.
• Determining how long background checks will be retained.

SHRM also shared their opinion that background checks must be comprehensive. Their article advised including:

• A suite of criminal searches.
• Employment and education verifications.
• Professional reference checks.
• Motor vehicle record searches for candidates who will drive.
• Position-focused components as needed.

Review Your Screening Packages

Federal Criminal Searches check for fraud, larceny and other convictions that may not be found otherwise.
Nationwide Criminal Searches locate convictions in places where a candidate did not live.
Sex Offender Searches show if an applicant is listed on a registry.
Verifications let you know if a seemingly qualified candidate has the work history, degrees, credentials or anything else they need to be eligible.