Employee background investigation services are growing in popularity as more and more companies decide to carefully screen prospective workers before hiring them. Background investigations have become much more economical now and there are discount services which offer excellent value when it comes to discovering potential liabilities in an employee’s past.
Depending on the nature of the position applied for, background checks might be minimal or comprehensive. Some of the more commonly sought personal history occurrences include litigation history, employment history, driving record, credit history, criminal record, medical history, drug use history, military service record and scholastic records. In very comprehensive background investigations, the subject might be screened very carefully and may have to be subjected to multiple types of personal history verifications.
This essay examines the need for, and process of, conducting a background search on a current or prospective employee.
Reasons for an Employee Background Investigation
Companies and organizations are only as good as their collective parts. If unsound people are allowed to work inside and represent an organization, only detrimental consequences can come of it. Employee liabilities are responsible for a range of problematic occurrences including poor service, loss of customers, litigation, internal monetary theft, intellectual property theft, and confrontational issues between coworkers.
A comprehensive view of several key aspects of an employee’s personal history can tell an organization quite a lot about them and the quality of their character. Additionally, a background check can also verify the truthfulness and accuracy of claims made by the employee on their work application, including school, work and interpersonal histories.
Companies in some industries might earn discounts on various types of indemnity coverage if they subject their employees to full background checks. Governmental and sensitive private sector work positions are also well known for fully investigating applicants before even considering hiring them for virtually any type of job.
Employee Background Investigation Process
In virtually all cases, prospective or current employees will be fully informed that they are being subjected to a background check and will know exactly what the company or organization will be looking for. Most employees will be asked to fill out permission documents which will allow and expedite handling of the background investigation, including medical record permissions, credit report permissions and criminal record permissions, where applicable. If sealed court records are found, the employee might be interviewed about the contents or might have to allow disclosure to the organization upon request.
In select cases, the employee might be subjected to a background investigation without being warned, especially in cases where they are suspected of some wrongdoing. This is much more common with existing workers than with new hires in most scenarios. These types of investigations often involve more effort and greater cost, since the usual channels of record acquisition will not always be available without signed permission documents. These types of difficult cases are usually handled by specialist investigators at a local level and some large organization might even retain these professionals as direct employees for the sake of efficiency and discretion.
Employee Background Investigation Results
Successful completion of a background investigation can be a mutually rewarding experience for both organization and employee alike. The organization will be satisfied that they are hiring a quality, honest candidate for the position and can now invest the time and effort to train and trust this person in their vocational role. Meanwhile, the worker will be provided with good employment and will have earned the trust and responsibility placed upon them within the company.
However, if something negative is discovered in the personal history of the prospective employee, the company can decide whether or not they want to proceed with an offer of employment. Some negative issues will not bar employment, especially if they occurred long ago and have been disclosed and explained. However, undisclosed, recent and relevant negative personal history findings can and should be used to stop the employee from entering the workforce within the organization.