Background Checks – Why Do Employers Owe Them to Their Applicants?

A background check is a simple procedure wherein a business or an individual uses to verify an individual’s personal information, employment status, educational background, criminal record, and many other personal details from their past to assess who they say they are. It is a comprehensive means of assessing the credibility, reliability, reputation, trustworthiness, as well as the credibility, repute, or the reliability of any given individual or entity. This is used in every aspect of businesses, from job recruitment to financial transactions. In most cases, the government also conducts such checks on individuals to ensure that they are fit to perform certain tasks related to certain organizations or government entities. Background checks can also be used by private businesses and organizations to evaluate the competency, history, reliability, trustworthiness, as well as the accuracy of their employees and partners.

There are many different types of background checks. These include federal, state, county, local and even corporate criminal records of some people. Each state has its own set of criminal justice agencies which manage and maintain different types of criminal record databases, such as sex offender registries and public criminal records. When conducting background checks, one can search through these record databases to find relevant information based on the person’s name, address, phone number or employment history.

Employment History – One can conduct an employment background check to check for criminal records of applicants who hold positions with the same organization or firm that you are working for. The data obtained from this check can include the employer’s name, position title, department, dates worked, disciplinary action if any taken against the employee, and the length of employment. This would help you to ensure that the person is qualified for the job that you are considering for.

Criminal Records – Criminal background checks may include employment history. Criminal background checks may include arrest information for the applicant, conviction date, time period of the crime, the nature of crime, location, and date of offense. These criminal records may include arrests for theft, fraud, assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence, possession of illegal drugs, and several other offenses. You should bear in mind that certain states require specific authorization or identification in order to conduct criminal records searches on certain individuals.

Reference Check – Conducting background checks on potential candidates can be a little tricky. Most of the time, reference checks are only done on people who have recently had positive references. However, some employers also perform a reference check on potential candidates before offering them a job opportunity. Hence, there may be times when reference checks are not always compulsory.

Employer May Include Employment History – An employer may include employment history in their background check. This information can be very important since it can reveal previous employers, salary, and type of work done by the candidate. Employers are required to provide this information if they want to get an accurate assessment of the credibility of a job applicant. However, many employees are not comfortable disclosing their former employers because they feel it is awkward and unnecessary to do so. The information provided can also be used for reasons of discrimination and profiling. Hence, employers must make sure that any information provided is relevant and can be used to their benefit.

Background Check – Most employers hire background checks as part of their hiring process. This is also a good way of protecting your business interests. Background checks can prevent hiring fraudsters and individuals with severe criminal records. It can also help you weed out candidates with falsified educational credentials and similar capabilities. You will be able to save yourself from possible litigation and any potential loss of business transactions. In most cases, background checks can be conducted in two ways you can hire an agency that will do the research for you, or you can perform the research yourself.

Performing a background check on a potential employee will help you gain essential knowledge about his past employment and financial activities, criminal history and so on. Performing a background check also helps you evaluate a potential employee’s suitability for a position. It can help you determine whether the person possesses the aptitudes and skills needed for a particular job. A clean slate goes a long way in proving the applicant’s character and integrity. Hence, it is important for you to conduct a background check on potential employees every now and then.