Background checks are a crucial component in the hiring process. "Filter out problematic employees by performing fast and simple background checks"

Fremont, CA: Today the background check has become one of the most vibrant and effective tools in the hands of recruiters. Background checks reveal information about a person's personality, reputation, and experience. Depending on the kinds of screens, these exploratory investigations vary on the information they will uncover. 

A professional background check not only helps in hiring the best candidate, but it also helps in eliminating the risk of white-collar crimes, frauds committed by employees in the workplace. A basic background check helps employers verify a candidate's claim on employment history, address verification, education check, criminal record, gap verification, and reference check. 

The corporate world had seen a few high profile exits in the past due to misrepresentation of facts. Such loss of reputation could have been avoided by merely following due diligence in background checks in the first place. This is a crucial step in the recruitment process, studies have shown that the bad hires can cost up to 5 times their annual salary and loss from resume fraud is estimated to cost employers about $600 billion annually. Loss caused by key staff, such as managers and executive managers is four times higher than those caused by regular employees. There are many different types of background checks used for different situations which help to lower the loss for the organization.

Criminal Background Checks

Establishing whether an employee has a criminal record is a crucial step in assessing the risk of bringing that person into the organization. While not every crime would automatically prevent an applicant from being hired, having that knowledge allows employers to make an educated decision. With the results of a criminal background check, employers can assess the applicability of the record to the position's level of responsibility, exposure to assets or customers, and other criteria.

Conducting a criminal history search that is tailored to the requirements of the position not only helps to lessen the potential for on-the-job incidents, it can also help organizations avoid or defend potential negligent hiring lawsuits.

Reference checks 

When a company follows up on references listed on a candidate's resume, they expect the people registered to provide a subjective assessment of the person applying for the position. Because recruiters assume that the candidates had asked the person's listed if they would be willing to speak on their behalf, those running the checks can ask about skills, personality and overall work ethic - all factors that will have an influence on how the individual fits into the new work environment. 

Identity Checks

An identity check can help to provide employers with information that they can use to be more confident about who exactly being hired and whether the applicant is honest with the most basic of personal information. An identity check can also be the central element of a more extensive background check, providing essential information needed to move ahead with more extensive searches.

Education Verification

Employers will often want to verify the applicants' degree, major, and academic review prior to finalizing a hire, particularly for entry-level jobs. Candidates must show their consent for schools to release records under The Family Right to Privacy Act. When employers conduct a check of the applicant background (credit, criminal, past employer) or use a third party to do so, the background check is covered by The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Also, when the employer brings someone into their organization, they want to be certain that the employee's identity is valid. After all, people, unfortunately, live in an age in which identity theft is widespread. Verification of an applicant's identity is a relatively simple step that will help alleviate concerns of a misappropriated, mistaken, or outright stolen identity.

Drug & Health Screening

Drug testing is one of the most common screenings that employers use to ensure that job candidates will be productive employees and as a preventative measure against accidents in the workplace. Drug tests recognize illegal things potential employees may have ingested or been exposed to. It must be done in compliance with the laws of the state where the company is located.

Employers must test all candidates if they have conducted drug testing and do so in accordance with state law. Drug testing has become a common system to ascertain the trustworthiness of prospective employees, avoid workplace injuries, and ensure that hires will be productive employees.

Additional Services

There are situations for organizations to handle background checks to find out a candidate's credit report, civil report at both county and federal levels, social media and online media check to know more about the candidate's attitude along with drug screening in instances of deciding whether an illegal or prescription drug is in the body through blood and urine tests carried by certified labs.

Automation for Pre Employment Screening

Technological advances have made the chance of making instant background screening a reality. The advantages of adopting automation in background screening are apparent. Creating an integration with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), an HRMS and a Verification Management System (VMS) makes the process of administering background verification seamless and efficient. The VMS, could be configured to run a series of checks on the applicant based on certain unique identifiers such as social security number. 

Automation uses a scheme or method to finish tasks that are repetitive and easy to mimic. This enables employees to concentrate on assignments that are more useful or complex. Automated evaluations considerably decrease the quantity of time that recruiters or recruiting managers to spend on screening applicants, particularly when recruiting high volume. Assessments provide significant insight into the candidate's ability to perform specific roles and thus help businesses make quality hires. Because evaluations assist determine who will perform well on the job, the expenses associated with turnover and hiring may be reduced. Overall, automated assessments save time and money, enabling the process to be more efficient.

Now it is clear that a background check is an important tool not only in the pre-recruitment stage, but it also plays an important role in talent management in any organizations. Many aspects of personal information are fluid and changes with every new life developments and incidents. Recruiters and employers need to keep themselves updated with the latest information so that they can make the best possible decision every time.