A great way to protect your company and hire the best team possible is by conducting background checks on potential employees. Doing this will tell you a lot of information including criminal records, driving records, whether or not they’re a sex offender, and more. As a business owner or manager, you may want to get consent from the individual for the background check.
It may be helpful to ask them during the interview if there’s anything to be aware of. Once you have their consent, it’s time to get a background check report. Here’s how you can conduct one on potential employees.
Pre-Employment Background Checks
Outsource a Qualified Background Check Company
The first thing you need to do is find a trusted and well-known company that performs background checks. There are plenty of legal liabilities that come with screening potential employees and it’s best to have your bases covered. Doing a background check on your own can be complicated and you may not get the proper results.
Hiring a qualified company to do the job is inexpensive and you’ll receive reliable information. Being an employer, you will need to choose a company that follows the EEOC guidelines. Consent from the potential employee is required and can be given on a job application to save everyone time. You also want to avoid getting free public records online, as they won’t have the appropriate information that you’re looking for.
Paying for Background Checks
Running a business takes a lot of money and you likely already have a tight budget. This is why you only want to pay for the information that you need. Running a background check usually costs between $10 and $20 per individual. This can quickly add up if you’re hiring a large group of people.
You don’t need to know every single thing that comes on a public record in order to get the information that you need on a potential employee. For example, if you own a pizza restaurant, you’d want to look at things such as criminal record and driving record. On the other hand, if you run a daycare or preschool, you’ll want to check the criminal records and whether the individual is a sex offender or not.
You can also look up information on specific certification if the position requires it. Many people lie on their resume to make themselves look better. Doing this will ensure that you’re hiring someone who is capable of doing the work that you’re looking for while having the necessary skills for the job.
What’s the Timeline Look Like?
Lastly, when it comes to conducting a background check on a potential employee, you’ll want to consider the timeline. Do you need the position filled the same day you post the opening? There are few things to keep in mind when it comes to how long the background check will take.
First, the more information that you’re asking for, the longer it will take. On the other hand, if you’re just needing a simple criminal record report, that will take much less time. The majority of background checks take less than four days to complete from the time you order one until the time you receive the report.
On top of that, you’ll need to account for the time it will take you to review the records and make a decision when it comes to hiring. Keep in mind, you may not always find a clear record. Be sure to have a handful of other candidates to choose from as well.