Background Checks

 

A Pre-Employment Background Check has become a matter of necessity. Too many applicants make false claims on their job applications and resumes or attempt to cover up prior criminal activity. About 40% of the background checks processed turn up at least one serious discrepancy.  SupplierOrientation.com recognized the need for CheckPersonnel™. 

Why use CheckPersonnel™?  

The benefits of CheckPersonnel™ background screening include:  

• Increased applicant and new hire quality 
• Reduced workplace violence 
• Reduced negligent hiring liability 
• Reduced losses from employee dishonesty 
• Making the right hire the first time 
• Avoiding negative publicity.  

The bottom line is that CheckPersonnel™ helps an organization be more successful. 

Increase Applicant and New Hire Quality  

The first benefit of CheckPersonnel™ that most clients see is an increase in applicant quality. A complete employee screening process:  

• Results in fewer applications with serious discrepancies  
• Discourages applicants who are trying to hide something  

• Increases applications from applicants who want to work in a safe environment  
• Increases the quality of new hires due to an improved applicant pool and improved selection process 

Reduce Workplace Violence   According to a survey conducted by the US Dept of Justice; 1.75 million days of work are lost each year by victims of workplace violence. The cost in lost wages accounts for about $55 million per year. When less direct, but further-reaching costs are considered, such as lost productivity, legal expenses, and diminished public image, the annual cost of workplace violence could measure in the billions.   An Employer's Imperative Employers have a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe work environment. Therefore, knowing whether a potential employee has been involved in criminal activity (such as drug or other substance abuse, reckless behavior, dishonesty, theft, or dangerous and violent behaviors) allows the employer to determine if an applicant is appropriate for the job and work environment. It also helps the employer determine if the applicant poses a potential threat to other employees.   Prior history is a good predictor of future performance.  CheckPersonnel™ is used by employers to identify applicants prone to unacceptable workplace behavior. Background check tools such as Criminal Record Checks, Prior Employment Verifications, Education Verification, License Verifications, and other research tools can reveal potential problem areas.  

Protect Against Negligent Hiring Liability  

According to an article published by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), Negligent Hiring is "the failure of the employer to investigate a job applicant's work experience, character, criminal history and other relevant data prior to the hiring of an employee." Negligent hiring liability holds employers responsible both for what they do know and what they should have known about their employees. It can even hold employers responsible for employees’ actions off the job. Courts have repeatedly affirmed that employers have a duty to exercise reasonable care in hiring individuals who, because of the nature of their employment, may pose a threat to the public. 

Because employers have a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe work environment, knowing whether a potential employee has been involved in criminal or dishonest activity (such as drug or other substance abuse, reckless behavior, theft, or dangerous and violent behaviors) allows the employer to better determine if an applicant is appropriate for the job and work environment. CheckPersonnel™ allows an employer to better determine if an applicant poses a potential threat to other employees or customers.   CheckPersonnel™’s tools such as Criminal Record Checks, Prior Employment Verifications, Education Verification, License Verifications, and other research tools can reveal potential problem areas and provide documentation that an employer has taken "reasonable care" in the hiring process. Thorough background check documentation is an important element in reducing negligent hiring liability.  

Reduce Employee Dishonesty Losses  

The typical organization loses 5% of its annual revenue to occupational fraud. The median loss caused by occupational fraud was $140,000. More than one-fifth of fraud cases caused losses of at least $1 million. Small organizations are disproportionately victimized by occupational fraud.  Employee theft and dishonesty can also reduce production, damage public confidence, destroy employer reputation, and negatively affect employee morale.     Prevalence of Employee Dishonesty Theft and fraud is something of which employers are aware but perhaps a bit complacent. The true prevalence of these crimes is pervasive and not well known. Approximately 30% of employees admit to stealing from their employers. The perpetrators are not those one would expect: 41.2% are managers, 39% are employees, and 19.3% are owners or executives.  

Obligation to Ensure a Safe Environment 

Employers whose employees have access to consumer residences or living quarters should be backgrounded.  A background check, or application verification, verifies the information provided by the candidate using independent sources such as criminal and civil court records, prior employer records, educational institution records, and credit or motor vehicle reports. Knowing whether a potential employee has been involved in criminal or other inappropriate activity (such as drug or other substance abuse, reckless behavior, dishonesty, theft, or dangerous and violent behavior) allows the employer to determine if an applicant is suitable for this type of work environment. Apartment owners, property management firms, and maintenance and custodial companies are just a few of the employers that face potentially costly problems caused by dishonest and criminal behavior of employees who have access to residences and living quarters.     While it may seem unfair, the courts have repeatedly found employers responsible for the criminal actions of employees on the job, and, in some cases, off the job. The average award in security (personal safety) negligent hiring cases is more than $1 million. Essentially, the courts see a background check as cheap insurance against repeated criminal actions. 

Reduce Employee Turnover: Hire the Right People  

CheckPersonnel™ help screen in employees who stay longer because employers are able to make the "Right Hire" the first time. Employers are able to hire the right people by increasing the accurate and objective information available to hiring managers. The information provided by a comprehensive background check enables employers to build a competent workforce and reduce the likelihood of hiring dishonest employees and employees with drug and alcohol problems. Gathering information from multiple sources provides a clearer understanding of the applicant's qualifications and reduces an employer's risks.  Avoid Negative Publicity  

Negative Publicity can Destroy an Employer's Reputation.  Bad publicity caused by an errant employee or volunteer can severely damage an organization’s reputation with its funding sources, its constituency, and the public. This negative impact on funding and reputation can cripple an organization to the point of closure.  In many cases there is little difference in the eyes of the public or the law between employees and volunteers who perform essential functions of an organization. Volunteers should be screened just as carefully as employees who would be performing similar roles. The public, courts, and regulatory agencies expect extra vigilance during the selection process of those who will be dealing with the infirm, the elderly, and children, as well as those who will have access to living quarters or residences. Such staff should be carefully screened. CheckPersonnel™ greatly reduces the likelihood of hiring a bad employee or volunteer, and thus they reduce the likelihood of negative publicity.  

Meet Regulatory, Insurance, and Customer Requirements 

Many employers are required by government regulation, their insurance carriers, and/or their customers to conduct background checks. To receive all the benefits discussed above, employers should meet any external requirements and then seriously consider obtaining more complete background checks by CheckPersonnel™ where appropriate.  

The Bottom Line: Success  

Why do background checks? The bottom line is that CheckPersonnel™ can help an organization be more successful. That means greater profits to for-profit organizations and greater impact for non profits. CheckPersonnel™ helps employers:  

• Reduce the high cost of turnover by screening in employees who stay longer. 
• Reduce losses from employee theft, employee fraud, drug and alcohol abuse, absenteeism, workplace violence, and litigation. 
• Avoid wasted benefits.  

• Reduce training and employee development costs. 
• Increase productivity through hiring employees with better work habits, attitudes, policies, and practices. 
• Enhance professionalism by "screening in" appropriate workplace attitudes. 
• Decrease insurance costs. Some insurance companies will give background check or drug-screening discounts to firms who take such precautions. 
• Meet regulatory, insurance, and customer requirements.