| First, What Is Background Checking? | | | | - 13 people die every week as a result of |
| As the name suggest, it is the process of | | | | workplace violence |
| scrutinizing the personal history of a person. This | | | | - 36 percent of applications are falsified With |
| is done by consulting official and commercial | | | | those reasons, it is not surprising that companies |
| records. In the past, one can do a background | | | | do background check on applicants. There are |
| search by enlisting the aid of the police. Today | | | | jobs where a person is required to work around |
| though, private companies offer to do background | | | | sensitive information especially in the government |
| search on people for a fee. | | | | and that is another reason to run a background |
| Background checking is usually done when a | | | | check on people applying for government posts. |
| person applies for a job especially a delicate one. | | | | The Why Not |
| Usually, employers would hire people they can | | | | While there are a lot of valid reasons for |
| trust and if that means checking the background | | | | companies to check the background of applicants |
| of participants, they would do it. The necessity of | | | | they are interested in hiring, there are also several |
| a background check is even more pronounced | | | | factors why some companies forego this process. |
| when a person applies for a sensitive position, | | | | One reason is that it takes some time and |
| such as jobs which will put them in close contact | | | | money to do a background check. Thus, small |
| with children and the elderly. People who are | | | | companies tend to give up background checking. |
| applying for government posts also undergo | | | | On the other end of the spectrum, some |
| background checks. | | | | employees are against background checking |
| The Why | | | | believing that it is a form of invasion of privacy. |
| Consider these figures and you will see why it is | | | | Another reason being put forward by people |
| important for companies and the government to | | | | opposed to background checking is that people |
| employ background checks: | | | | might not be able to land a good job for doing |
| - 1 in 32 grownups in the United States has a | | | | something stupid during their youth. Another could |
| criminal record | | | | be the belief that a background check could result |
| - There are about 6 million threats of violence in | | | | to illegal discrimination based on the past of a |
| the workplace every year | | | | person or the people he or she is associated with |
| - 2 million workplace assaults happen every year | | | | in the past. |