HR Uses Background Checks – Atlanta Georgia

HR Uses Background Checks – Atlanta Georgia

HR managers who use a background check company as part of their overall hiring policy to eliminate undesirable applicants are well versed in the application of the information that can and can’t be used when taking adverse action – that is not hiring the individual base on information contained in a background check.

Any negative information revealed, whether it is a criminal history, poor credit, or something else, should be directly related to the individual’s ability to do the job.  In other words, poor credit shouldn’t preclude hiring a person who doesn’t handle cash or who is closely supervised.  A minor criminal history shouldn’t eliminate a candidate depending on the severity of the offense, the age of the person involved, and the length of time since the offense occurred.

There is leeway in the decision making process, but as most HR professionals will tell you, all policies, including pre employment screening must be fairly and consistently applied for the position.

Conversely, there are situations where the presence of derogatory information absolutely should prevent an applicant from holding a particular position.  A day care worker shouldn’t be a registered sex offender, a home health nurse shouldn’t have a criminal conviction for violence of any sort, and a cashier should be free of any convictions of credit card fraud, obviously.

The HR department should set the breadth and scope of the background check to be conducted for each position and be sure all guidelines are followed.

The HR department should be able to depend on the background check company as a business partner, getting solid advice and guidance about their background check policies.

To discuss your background check requirements, call 770-426-0547 (770-253-4593 in Atlanta, Georgia) or click here.