Time To Update Your Background Check Practices, Know Why?

Conducting an employee background check is no longer considered as an option anymore. In today’s world where it’s pretty easy to manipulate data and forge information, a thorough investigation of the candidate’s past is a necessary precaution.

As a responsible employer, it’s imperative that you conduct a background verification check – whether it’s running a simple search on the education and/or employment history or more complicated checks on criminal records.

Along with the skill set required to fulfill job responsibilities, a candidate should also possess certain ethical and moral values to fit into your organization’s work culture and safety requirements which is why background screening tests are of utmost importance. However, organizations must ensure that they update their hiring and background verification practices to keep up with the changing times to make sure that recent laws are recognized.

A lot is changing in the HR world. Technology changes, shifting regulations and the fundamentals of hiring and background verifications all have an impact on your ability to select the right candidate for your organization.

So, when have you last updated your background check practices? If not recently, here are a few things you need to know:

Regulations

It is important for employers to be aware of the local laws, rules, and regulations regarding employment and labor. Furthermore, they should be aware of all the limitations imposed by the law on the screening process followed by many organizations. Staying current with the latest regulations ensures that your hiring process meets the requirements of state and local jurisdictions. It also ensures that you do not violate employee rights.

Ongoing Screening

Once hired, many organizations do not consider re-screening employees unless obligated by certain industry-specific requirements or required by a new client. Post-employment screening is necessary, and every company should include it in their policies. To create a safe and secure work environment, ongoing screening is an important practice. Remember, however that the employee must agree to a background check every time it is performed. A review of your hiring practices should include periodic checks of existing employees to ensure ongoing safety and security of your organization.

Contingent Labor Force Screening

Along with your regular employees, you should consider running checks on the contingent labor force that includes temps, contractors, vendors, etc. Background verifications are particularly important for companies that have seasonal employment patterns such as construction, entertainment, and retail. The rapid growth in the use of freelancers and independent contractors has also lead to the increasing demand for screening rather than blindly recruiting people. More and more companies have started taking contingent labor background verifications more seriously.

Technology and HR

Technological changes are constant and human resources departments see new software being implemented for various processes often. If you haven’t yet checked out ways to integrate technology in your background screening processes, now is the time. There are many background screening solutions available that can significantly simplify tasks and ensure that you get accurate reports and results.

Many organizations prefer hiring a third party company to conduct employee verification and screening. These companies are specialists in what they do and have access to many databases that are essential to performing a thorough check. They also have a knowledge of the latest trends and best practices for employee screening. Above all, they understand what they can and cannot do within the limits of law so that they can obtain the required information without violating an individual’s rights.

A Good Employee provides you with the right solutions for conducting pre-employment checks and ensures that you get all the relevant data to make an informed hiring decision.