| These days, it doesn't matter whether or not | | | | is for businesses that have fifteen or more |
| your business is large or small - pre-employment | | | | employees. |
| background checks are vitally necessary in order | | | | Generally, a pre-employment background check |
| to avoid potential lawsuits and the expenses | | | | can and does reveal a lot of personal data about |
| caused from hiring the wrong person. Not so long | | | | a person. Information such as social security |
| ago, one could get by with simply checking the | | | | numbers, criminal records, college and other |
| references a potential employee listed on their job | | | | educational records, driving records, credit |
| application, probably by making a phone call or | | | | records, facts gleaned from neighbors or friends |
| two. This was the only type of screening that | | | | of the applicant, and a person's worker's |
| was common then. Times are just not that simple | | | | compensation record is very useful in determining |
| anymore! | | | | whether or not a candidate is right for the job in |
| So many things have happened to change the | | | | question. |
| business world - it's a whole new ball game out | | | | There have been instances where identity theft |
| there. Employers are checking out job applicants, | | | | has caused someone to have false information |
| and even employers who have worked for their | | | | attributed to them via a background check... Most |
| companies for many years to make sure that | | | | businesses do want to be fair when assessing job |
| these people have nothing going on in their private | | | | candidates, and therefore should strive to use a |
| life which could affect their company in a negative | | | | reputable background check company to gather |
| way. A background check is probably the most | | | | this information for them, instead of trying to do |
| popular way to do this. It's easier to check out a | | | | the background checks themselves in order to |
| potential employee before they are hired than it is | | | | save money. |
| to have to confront a long time employee with a | | | | If after reviewing someone's records, an |
| discovery you have made about their past or | | | | employer feels that it would not be in the best |
| current history. | | | | interest of the company to hire this person, the |
| Statistics show that around 96% of companies in | | | | Federal Trade Commission requires that an |
| the United States choose to do pre-employment | | | | "adverse action notice" be sent to the person. It |
| background checks, up from 66% in 1996. The | | | | must give them full information about the |
| reason for this sharp percentage rise is the fact | | | | company that was used to perform the |
| that most companies are quite leery of lawsuits. | | | | background check. The notice will state that the |
| They are learning that they can be held | | | | background check company did not make the |
| responsible for the behavior and actions of their | | | | hiring decision; rather, the employer did after |
| employees, and can be taken to court because of | | | | receiving the personal information about the job |
| them. It just makes good business sense to | | | | applicant. |
| check out any and all job applicants so that you | | | | Anyone who is turned down for a job, and |
| can make certain that they do not have a criminal | | | | receives an adverse action notice, has the right to |
| record, any accusations of business fraud, or child | | | | dispute the damaging information revealed in the |
| molestation charges, among others. | | | | background check, and can actually receive a |
| There are many laws and rules which govern the | | | | copy of the report to see just what it contained. |
| process of pre-employment background checks. | | | | However, if a business decides to conduct a |
| The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that your | | | | background check in-house, and does not hire an |
| business must have each employee sign a form | | | | outside company to run its background checks, |
| called a disclosure form. By doing this, they are | | | | then it is not required to get the consent of the |
| giving you permission to have a background | | | | job applicant. This is one way for a business to |
| check performed. If a new job applicant refuses | | | | miss out on hiring good people. A professional |
| to sign such a form, it's a safe bet that he or she | | | | company can do a much more through job of |
| has something to hide. The Americans with | | | | investigating. This is their specialty, and it is well |
| Disabilities Act states that employers cannot use | | | | worth the small fee they charge to insure that |
| any person's medical information in deciding | | | | your company has accurate and up to date |
| whether or not to hire them. An employer is not | | | | information needed to make the right choices in |
| even allowed to ask someone about any disability, | | | | personnel. |
| visible or otherwise, that they may have. This rule | | | | |