If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you’ll already understand how important it is to conduct an extensive background check on any person whom you’re considering hiring. That said, let’s review. Use the 5 reasons below as a reminder of why it’s essential to do employee background checks.
#1 – Avoid Legal Liability
If you fail to check the background and history of an employee and that employee hurts someone in the workplace, your company could be held liable. Negligent hiring lawsuits happen all the time and employers pay the price.
#2 – Validate Skills
Just because a job applicant claims that he’s adept at something or has experience in a certain field doesn’t mean that it’s true. You need to do a background check to validate his claims.
#3 – Prevent Office Violence
Violence in the workplace can carry an enormous cost. Not only does it potentially expose your staff to physical harm, but it disrupts your company’s operations. While doing an extensive background check doesn’t guarantee a new employee won’t act violently, it’s one of the most effective preventative measures you can take.
#4 – Avoid Employee Theft
A large percentage of the people who steal items from the companies for which they work have a history of doing so. Checking an employee’s background can reveal whether a prospective hire has been fired or convicted of theft in the past.
#5 – Avoid Nuisance Lawsuits
There are people who apply for jobs, secure a position and then sue the company that has hired them. It may take the form of a frivolous worker’s compensation claim or a sexual harassment suit. You can uncover whether a job candidate has a history of filing these types of lawsuits.
Conducting employee background checks is an important part of protecting your staff and your company. They help maintain the safety of your employees. Plus, they can shield your business from a host of potential problems that can result from hiring an undesirable worker.