Why It’s Imperative For A Small Business To Do A New-Hire Background Check

Are you a relatively small company?

If you have 50 employees, for example, a new hire represents approximately 2% of your workforce. While this percentage may seem small, it really isn’t. Two percent of your entire business is a big deal!

How will the new hire fit in? Will they adapt to your work culture? Will they be able to keep up with the workload? Will they have a positive attitude and boost morale? Will they help increase productivity? Ultimately, will this new employee help your business succeed?

These are the questions that are (or perhaps should be) at the top of every small business owner’s mind during the hiring process.

New-hire background checks are essential because they address these and other pertinent questions. Especially for small businesses, a new hire can have a huge impact on overall operations. A new hire will also affect the mood and business climate of the department they’re hired into, and of the enterprise as a whole.

As you can see, background screening is very important. Here are other things to consider with regards to doing a new-hire background check.

Is The Job Candidate Being Truthful About Credentials And Past Work Experience?

Many candidates are completely truthful when listing degrees, certificates, work experience, and other credentials on their resume. But there are people who exaggerate, and there are some individuals who flat out lie about their credentials.

As a small business owner, hiring someone who does not have the credentials you need is a huge waste of your time, money, and resources. At best, you’ll have to spend a lot more time than you expected training this person and bringing them up to speed. At worst, you’ll be forced to fire them and start the hiring process all over again.

To avoid these setbacks, make sure to conduct background screening that checks and verifies the person’s credentials. Do they have the certificate or degree they claim to have? Did they really work for the company they listed on their resume? What, exactly, was their position? Verify these and other facts before you make a job offer.

Does The Candidate Have A Criminal Background?

Not everyone with a criminal background is a threat to your employees or your business, but some individuals are. If the person you’re considering hiring has committed violent crimes in the past, you need to know. It’s important to avoid putting your employees, customers, or yourself in danger. Learn what crimes, if any, the candidate has committed, and make an informed decision as to whether this individual can or cannot be an effective, contributing, and safe member of your team.

Has The Applicant Hurt Or Sabotaged Previous Businesses?

While most people want a job they can be proud of, some people are out to purposely harm or destroy others, for whatever reason. A new-hire background check can turn up any worrisome patterns. You won’t be able to tell these things during your interview; every candidate will do everything in their power to appear qualified for the job and beat out all other applicants. This is why background screening is important. Since the interview won’t tell you that a particular person is bad news, you’ll need to rely on a background check to find this out.

What About References?

As part of the application process, candidates list professional references. As a small business owner, however, you don’t have the time to call and check every one of these references. Outsourcing the job to a background screening company frees you up to do the important job of running your business and tending to your day-to-day operations while ensuring that each candidate is thoroughly vetted.

Are YOU Violating The Candidate’s Rights?

It’s very important that you follow the federal law and avoid violating your job candidates’ rights. FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) compliance is an integral part of every employer’s risk management approach. You must protect your company by ensuring you do NOT inadvertently violate the rights of any of your job candidates.

If all of this seems confusing and even daunting, consider hiring an experienced background search company that fully understands FCRA compliance and will help your company follow this important process correctly.

How NationSearch Can Help

We’ve touched upon ways in which a background screening company can help your small business during your hiring process. NationSearch has been helping companies of all sizes with background screening services since 1987. We can help you a number of ways, including:

• Reliable Screening Services
• Criminal Background Checks For Employment
• Drug Screening Services
• Complete FCRA Compliance
• Employment Reference Checks
• Credentials And Identity Verification

Make sure to hire the right person for the job and for your small business. Let NationSearch handle your background screening efforts for you! Not only do we have the background and experience to handle this process for you efficiently, but we’re very approachable and easy to work with. Reach out to NationSearch today!