Common Sense Tips About Employment Background Screening
- LABORCHEX can be helpful to clients that have little or no experience with the process of employment background checks.
- Our work with hundreds of clients in almost every industry imaginable allows us to provide solid advice that's customized to a client's needs.
- Never any extra charge for our expertise.
What's Best for the Client?
- Even businesses in identical industries have different needs.
- Some place a higher value on background screening than others.
- Clients operating multiple sites and/or businesses have unique challenges.
- Clients can choose standard or customized screenings.
- It is vital for the client to understand that there "is a risk in not screening, and almost as great a risk if screening is done improperly and not according to federal laws and other guidelines."
- Clients determine when in the employment process they want the screening to take place.
When Should the Screening Process Begin?
- Usually, clients begin the screening process after specific candidates have been identified and interviewed. It is a waste of time and $$ to screen every applicant. The client submits the screening before a job offer has been made. By doing so, the client eliminates the potentially risky situation in which an applicant must be told his/her job offer has been retracted. As long as the proper release has been signed, the screenings can begin at any time.
- Some clients begin screening after the job offer has been made, so they can coordinate the screening along with drug testing and medical exams (if required). It is important that such clients (as well as all clients) make it clear to the applicant that the job offer is made based on background screening results that meet company criteria, and that it can be retracted if the information reveals misrepresentations, lies, or other troubling details such as a harmful criminal record.
How Would You Deal With these Issues?
You Should Have Policies in Place!
- Criminal record reveals no felony convictions but several serious misdemeanors from 10 years ago.
- Driver's license check indicates two charges for DUI, but only one conviction.
- Applicant says he worked for employer for 5 years, but previous manager says "4 years."
- Applicant claims a college degree but is 6 credits short; however, she is a top student.
- What if a professional license is valid but not in good standing?
- Applicant claims a wage of $15/hr, but only $10/hr is confirmed.
- Personal reference supplied by the applicant says he/she is a "big troublemaker."
- Previous employer claims applicant violated drug policy.
- Search reveals applicant once used another person's social security number
Establishing Criteria to Review Employment Screening Details
- Know if any laws in your state(s) impact these decisions. Example: A state law may prohibit anyone convicted of a felony from working in a daycare center.
- Leaving room to review applicants on a "case-by-case" basis is fair, but flexibility should not apply to serious issues. Example: An applicant claims he worked 3 years for an employer, but 2 years/10 months was confirmed. Most clients would not find that to be too much of an issue. However, if only 2 years are confirmed, that might cause a problem since a full year would be unaccounted for.
- With criminal and driving records, firm policies are the best course of action, and often clients spell out these details in a document that accompanies the job application. Here are two examples of policies that might be established by a client: 1.Anyone with a DUI that took place while on the job will not be hired. OR 2.An applicant with a conviction for a crime against another person (such as assault, robbery, etc.) will not be offered a job. Leaving too much of this open to interpretation and emotional analysis could come back to haunt a client.
Managing Screenings for Multiple Sites
- Three main methods clients use to complete screenings:
1. Centralized office processes all requests.
2. Each location processes requests independently.
3. A combination of the above methods.
- All information can be shared among locations and main office.
- Technology permits real-time review of screening progress, and allows managers to review each location’s compliance to company policies.
Questions? Want To Get Started?
- Please call Steven Austin at (800) 880-0366, or email him at saustin@laborchex.com
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