The hiring process shouldn’t be a difficult task. Employee Background checks simplify the process and relieve some worries.
Recently, I had a manager that believed he could be more efficient at completing background checks himself without help from background check experts. To him, employee background checks were important, but background check experts were not and he could very simply find out all the information he needed by “making a few phone calls” or tracing the applicant himself through his own system of background checks. His sense of urgency was infectious and soon, he had a couple of other hiring managers following his lead. Believing his pre-employment screening methods were ideal, the manager set out to “make a few phone calls” on a new applicant. Things were going good, until he reached an employer from 10 years ago. This employer had nothing but negative things to say about the applicant. The manager listened as the former employer claimed the applicant was a thief and had been suspected of theft prior to his departure. Continuing his pre-employment screening efforts, the manager re-called other companies the applicant worked for. He asked questions like, “did you know this former employee had been suspected of theft in other companies?” and “did you have any suspicions of theft while he worked there?” The manager even went so far as to make a copy of the applicant’s ID and fax it over to previous employers with questions and comments like, “ Is this a bad employee? He has been suspected of theft at other companies, did you have any suspicion’s? “ Not only was it illegal to ask most of these questions but it was also time and payroll consuming. Had the manager hired a Background Check company to begin with, the oncoming law suite could have been avoided all together and payroll loss would have been saved.
Employee background checks are a very important part of the hiring process. Taking short cuts or compromising the credibility of your company is never worth the risk. Had this manager used background check experts for pre-employment screening and background checks, he certainly would have avoided the legal case brought against him by the applicant.
For more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks, pre-employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547
