Does a Background Check Pay Off?

In recent years, criminal background checks have become a vital part of the employment process. Not just as a means to help screen out undesirable or dangerous employees and job applicants, but to assist in hiring the best possible candidate.

The ideal background check is accurate, comprehensive, consistent, timely, and, of course, legal.

Many employers perform background checks on prospective employees as part of the hiring process. Increased use of criminal background checks by employers to pre-screen job applicants appears to stem from the growing number of claims alleging an employer was negligent in hiring or retaining an employee who subsequently engaged in workplace violence or some other act that results in harm to a person or property (e.g. sexual assault or theft).

Unfortunately with the downturn in economy, there has been an increase in the growing numbers of negligent hiring and retention claims which greatly impact an employer’s exposure for large awards in damages. Because of this evolution of claims, the use of background checks has developed into a defense to liability should violence actually occur on a worksite. In other words, some companies have learned the hard way that it’s imperative they conduct background checks.

It’s been AdvanStaff’s experience working first-hand with clients who use background checks that situations have been avoided in hiring job applicants which could have proven costly.

For example, just recently an employee neglected to admit on his employment application that he/she had been charged and found guilty of a felony related to carrying a firearm on a former employer’s property. Another employee’s background check revealed he/she had anger management issues and had been ordered by the courts to attend training related to these issues. The prospective employee was being considered for a management position within that new organization.

One of the best examples of what could have been a costly hire involved a prospective candidate who had only recently been charged and found guilty by the courts of a felony just weeks prior to being considered for employment. The charge was related to theft and the position the client was filling was for an accounts receivable/payable administrator. AdvanStaff’s background screening service revealed the recent felony charge, which again, the job applicant neglected admitting in the application process.

Bottom line: Criminal background screening for employment purposes should be a consideration. Ideally, employers who seek criminal history information want to be able to make informed decisions about whether an individual will contribute to a safe and productive workplace or potentially could cause some harm to person or property if employed.

To this end, AdvanStaff encourages our partnering clients to perform background checks. It’s definitely proven to be a service that pays off.

Download an article on the cost and importance of the SSN trace.