When hiring a new employee, taking the time to run a background check may seem like an unnecessary hassle or even seem paranoid. Truthfully, running a background check on every employee is the best thing you can do to safeguard your business, protect your employees and maintain confidentiality for your clients. Here are just a few of the many benefits background checks provide.
* Confirmation of credentials – A surprising number of applicants embellish their credentials on their resume. Running a background check helps you verify if the certifications, credentials and experience listed on the resume are true.
* Maintaining a safe workplace – Employers are under obligation to make sure they are providing a safe workplace. Running background checks assist you by bringing up any history of violence that could be a red flag. Checking records reduces the risk of hiring someone who may be capable of committing violence in the workplace.
* Enforcing drug-free workplace policies – Background checks give you vital information about any drug-related charges or arrests the potential new employee has had in the past.
* Prevention of workplace theft – Checking your new hire’s background for theft-related crimes keeps your company from becoming his next victim. Workplace theft goes beyond physical items and money. Workplace theft can include stealing sensitive information from company computers about other employees or clients, which they use for their own gain or sell to the highest bidder.
* Avoid liability and “negligent hiring” – Some industries require background checks to be run on every employee by law. But even if there is no law for your industry, not performing background checks can result in charges of “negligent hiring”, leaving your company open to lawsuits and litigation. Running a background check aids your company in avoiding liability should the employee break the law but also gives you peace of mind.
Considering the low cost of background checks (around $30 each) and the protections that running background checks provide, taking the time to add this step into your hiring process is well worth it. Background checks protect your business, your clients and your employees from people with ill intentions. All it takes is one “bad hire” to open a floodgate of legal and financial harm. Bulldog PI can help.
