Before you hire an employee, it is imperative that a background check is carried out. Although most HR professionals do conduct these checks, at times they may not be conducted properly. In such cases, your organization will end up hiring individuals who will adversely affect the growth and environment of the company.
Background checks may sound like a simple procedure, but it is not. There are several factors that should be paid attention it, else it can result in a lawsuit for negligent hiring. Hiring an employee without conducting appropriate background checks could place the lives and work of existing employees in harm’s way. The following are the top four tips that you should consider when you conduct a background check on a potential employee.
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Adhere to FCRA Regulations
One of the standard ways to conduct a background check is to investigate an employee candidate’s credit history. This will give you an adequate picture of whether the candidate is financially stable. But, this cannot be done on the whims and fancies of a recruiter. To protect employees, there is a regulation known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act that employers have to adhere to while conducting a background check.
Credit checks can be conducted only for valid reasons such as promoting, firing, hiring or reassigning an employee. This means that unless there is a business interest, it is illegal to conduct credit checks. Another stipulation regarding financial checks is that employers can go through with it only if they have a written consent from the candidate.
Contact and Confirm References
Every organization requires candidates to provide references which can be a previous employer or anyone who can confirm the ability of the candidate in regard to a particular job. As a recruiter, it is important to contact the individuals given as references as it will give you a clear idea of what they are like in a business setting.
More often than not, employers neglect checking all of the references. This is an important part of recruitment as you can never know whether the details given are accurate or not. Confirming and contacting the references provided in the resume will allow you to verify the employment details and working behavioural pattern of the candidate.
Maintain Consistency with Background Checks
Conduct the same type of background checks on all the candidates rather than providing preferential treatment to some. A failure to do so could result in a lawsuit of employment discrimination. For instance, if you carry out a credit check on one candidate and not another when both are vying for the same position, it could land you in a spot of trouble.
Establish a Rapport with a Potential Employee
Although you can conduct several background checks, make sure you establish a rapport with the candidate beforehand. At times, issues that can provide a potential reason for rejecting a candidate can be cleared with simple explanations. These can be documented for proof if the candidate has the ability and the qualifications required for the job.
About the Author: Penny is an expert associated with CV Insight, which provides guidelines on how to vet candidates. The site provides information on how to perform background checks and the regulations attributed to them.