Over time background screening has become a vital component for evaluating and on-boarding employees and volunteers. Done properly it can provide information that is essential in identifying the best candidates regarding qualifications and culture fit. Considering the costs associated with a bad hire in lost time, productivity, and money, instituting a comprehensive and compliant screening program can be a huge win for any organization.
But are you getting the value you think from your screening program and provider?
3 Scenarios a Comprehensive Background Screening Program Can Mitigate
- Exposing your organization to lawsuits and litigation
Organizations have a duty to their employees and their reputation to learn about an applicant’s history to identify and avoid possible liabilities. It’s incumbent on them to encourage a workplace is that not only safe, but productive. A complaint background screening program will help them do that.
You should keep 2 pieces of this scenario in mind:
- What is the quality of the information you’re receiving? Online only database searches can be notorious for missing or out-of-date information. You do not want to make hiring decisions based on potentially faulty information.
- How should you evaluate the information you have?
It’s important to note that the presence of a certain type of record shouldn’t necessarily disqualify someone from consideration, it should just be used to assess and provide context for potential risk. Human resource departments should ask themselves if the record in question is relevant to the job being pursued.
A comprehensive and compliant background screening program will not only provide quality information but help evaluate any information in accordance with legal and recommended guidelines which will help you avoid possible fines from the courts and governing bodies. Working with legal counsel plus a screening provider that helps your organization stay up-to-date on best practices and compliance processes can produce tremendous value for your organization.
- Properly evaluating a candidate’s work history and qualifications
Surveys have shown up to 75% of employers have uncovered a lie or embellishment on a candidate’s resume. Whether big or small, these discrepancies can reveal a lot regarding your candidate’s character, even if no serious liability is at risk. But in certain fields such as healthcare or finance, or jobs that interact with vulnerable populations like children or the elderly, resume fraud can lead your organization to face serious repercussions.
Once again, the quality of information you’re receiving from your screening provider is essential to making informed decisions for your organization.
- Failure to generate the best possible return on your background screening investment
Receiving information in order to make a hiring decision is only part of what you should be getting from a background screening provider. A provider should be offering training opportunities and education concerning everything that affects the screening industry, after all, you’re not just paying for information, but their expertise. A well-informed organization positions itself to not only manage a complaint screening program, but ensures it receives the greatest possible return on their investment by creating efficiency and following best practices.
IntelliCorp is committed to offering the tools and services that create the value organizations expect from their screening programs.
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