All you need to know about the background check for employment

When it comes to hiring new employees, there are a number of considerations that your company needs to take into account. Apart from skills, experience, and attitude, a background check is one of the most critical aspects of the hiring process. Criminal background check for employment gives a clear view of the present and past of the candidates. Background investigations help in hiring the best possible employees for your organization.

Today we will be looking at different aspects of background checks for employment.

So let's get started!

Why is background check so important?

An employee background check is a process that companies use to verify that the candidate is who they claim to be. Checking the background of applicants is an essential tool for businesses. The major reason for conducting the background check is to avoid job fraud. There are many more reasons too, including:

● Background checks help in identifying potential risky hiring

● It also helps in safeguarding your organization's reputation

● It protects organization's assets

● Checking the background of the applicants improves the quality of hires

● Employees' background check is also mandated by law or regulation

Background verification improves the quality of hire. 'Hire the best and reject the rest' saying can best describe the background check for hiring employees.

What do all include a basic background check?

Background checking is the process of verifying the information provided by the applicant in his or her resume, application, interviews, and references. A basic background check includes the following:

● Criminal records check - Criminal background check for employment is a very crucial part of basic background checking. A criminal record check provides the criminal history of the applicant. It is essential for the position of trust and security.

● Social security validation - This validates the applicant's social security number and other information including aliases and variations, dates of birth, and address history associated with the social security number.

● Address history check - This traces the previous address history of the candidate where the candidate has lived in his past years. This ensures that the applicant has never lived in an undisclosed area which may reveal the criminal records.

A background investigation is generally conducted to determine whether an applicant has ever been involved in a criminal conviction, motor vehicle violations, poor credit history, or misrepresentation regarding education or work history.

Why and how to check criminal background?

Criminal background check for employment is the most critical part of the overall background check. However, they are also the most complex and misunderstood. Let's see why and how criminal background checks are conducted.

Suppose you are hiring for the position of the stock chief whose job is to handle the stock and assets. This position requires an elevated level of trust. In this case, it is essential to verify whether the candidate has ever been accused of burglary or extortion.

A person's criminal history influences the organization's well-being and reputation.

The two main categories of crimes include 'minor crimes' and 'serious crimes'. To check the criminal background of a candidate, go through the national crime database and local police information. This database is based on the police Records Management Systems, which records criminal cases including serious crimes and minor crimes. This information includes charges, prohibition orders, warrants, probation orders, peace bonds, release conditions, summary convictions, etc.

Challenges that come along with criminal record checks -

A criminal record check is one of the most utilized background screening tools that provide employers with helpful insight into their candidates’ criminal pasts. The two main challenges that come along with criminal record check is 'response time' and 'cost'.

Each police administration follows a different process for conducting criminal record checks. Some may take just a couple of days while others take weeks or more. Employers and candidates cannot afford to wait for such a long time.

Key takeaways - Criminal background check for employment is as essential as verifying other information about the applicant. Apart from a basic background check, employers can conduct a reference check too. This generally involves contacting applicants' former employers, supervisors, co-workers, and educators. A reference check is often conducted to verify previous employment information and to obtain information about the individual's knowledge, abilities, character, and skills. You can create a safe environment in the organization by hiring the right employees.