Every time a business hires a new employee, it is an investment of the company’s time, money, and resources; therefore, that is why it is important to screen each potential new hire prior to officially hiring them. Pre-employment screening, also known as background checks, will help protect your company’s organization, workforce, and brand. Although the coronavirus pandemic dramatically extended the time for screening potential employees, Background Check Central still provided proper background checks for pre-employment screening during Covid-19.
The Importance of Proper Background Checks on Potential Hires
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with dealing with today’s socio-political climate, we are all in a world of recovery. Civilization is at a vulnerable sensitive state, which makes now the time for companies to put in the effort of creating a safe an accepting work environment. Even though conducting criminal history checks for a background check can be a sensitive topic, it is important to be forward and honest with potential hires. When conducting a proper background check for pre-employment screening during Covid-19, the following information can be collected:
- Reference checks
- Education and/or resume verification
- Social media checks
- Criminal checks
- Credit background checks
Your company and organization have the legal obligation and responsibility to protect its employees and assets. A hiring company can no longer rely on trust when reviewing a candidates resume or application, as it is easy to hide, lie, and get away with past mistakes with todays technology. According to a recent statistic, roughly half of all applicants for a job lie regarding job experience, educational achievements, or even their core skills. Many will lie about their criminal convictions due to fear of not being considered for a job. Proper background checks are the first line of defense.
Most basic background checks involve criminal reports, social security number and address history, as well as education and employment verification. However, different pre-employment screening companies may offer different services that a company can choose from. For example, Background Check Central, who offers pre-employment services nationwide, offer all the aforementioned services, as well as driving record searches, bankruptcy search, industry specific professional licensing and violations, US Terror Watchlist, reference interviews, and a credit history search with signed authorization from the candidate.
Failing to properly screen a potential employee during Covid-19 could result in hiring an individual with a history of violence, placing your consumers, as well as your current employees, at risk. Not screening potential employees prior to hiring them could create a liability for the hiring manager and/or the company, especially if the harm was the result of a failure to do proper due diligence during the hiring process. If a company hires a person who lied about qualifications this could be a production liability or cause other problems with your operations. All companies, no matter the size, should always conduct proper background checks to protect its personal and professional interests.
Pre-employment Screening During Covid-19
Nearly 29% of people are stating that individual background screenings are taking longer than they used to due to the coronavirus pandemic, so does this mean a company should skip screening potential employees? Many companies and hiring managers are hiring provisionally until they are able to get a quick background check, or while they are waiting for a proper background check to return. Provisional hiring may present challenges for a company’s Human Resources team.
All corporations should plan how they will handle cases where criminal convictions are revealed in a background check after the employee has already started working. However, it is important that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is taken into consideration. Even though a company provisionally hires employees prior to receiving their background check reports, a federal adverse action still applies. A pre-adverse action notice must be sent to the employee with a five-business day waiting period before final adverse action can be taken (or longer, depending on your jurisdiction). This means that if you decide to terminate an employee based on the results of the background check, you’ll need to wait five business days after sending the initial pre-adverse action notice before terminating the employee.
The primary reasons pre-employment screening during covid is taking longer than usual is because of two reasons: government slowdowns/shutdowns, and government databases are less available. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, eight percent of companies are conducting proper background checks, while 18% indicate their organizations have fewer employees to conduct their screenings. Furthermore, temporary court closures across the nation have been proven to be one of the leading causes of background check delays.
While hiring during the pandemic, it is important to not take shortcuts. Doing your due diligence is and always will be a one of the key components in keeping your employees and company protected. A reliable, reputable company will do everything in their power to make sure your background checks have a quick turnaround rate regardless of the current climate.
Another key component to remember is that online background checks and real, professional background checks are not created equal. While courts remain backed up with cases, online background database sites, are NOT current on court information. With a true background check company, like Background Check Central, an investigator will always reach out to verify any information found on your applicants.
To receive a quote for proper background checks, that are all tailored to each person and what they are requesting, reach out to Background Check Central to speak with a Professional Investigator today!