Background check policy: where to start

negligent hiring lawsuits and to abide by state and national legal obligations. So how do you go about implementing a background check policy? Firstly, you need to think about which checks are appropriate for your organization. There are many different types of background checks, but only some will be suited to your needs. The standard checks will include criminal background checks, reference checks, education verification, security number tracing and drug screening. Further possibilities are motor vehicle record checks and credit checks, depending on the industry you are involved in and the role in question. While the majority of these checks will be for new employees only, perhaps during the hiring process, a criminal record should be part of a background check policy that extends to current employees. Just because an individual doesn’t have a criminal record when you hire them, you don’t know what may happen further down the line. For example, f they get a criminal record for assault sometime after being hired, and then end up assaulting another of your employees, your organization may face a lawsuit from the victim. Once you have decided which types of checks are appropriate for you, you need to think about how to perform these checks. While it’s possible to do most of these checks yourself, they are very time consuming and take expert knowledge to ensure that the results you obtain are valid and reliable. It’s always a good idea to outsource your background checks. So which direction do you turn? Another consideration is to avoid any background check companies that seem too good to be true. There are a lot of companies out there which offer “free background checks” or “instant background checks” – avoid these at all costs. To obtain the information necessary for a background check takes time and money – any company that claims otherwise should be viewed as a scam, or you should understand that the information they provide may not be reliable and certainly won’t be thorough. This really is a part of your business that you can’t get wrong, so make sure that the company you turn to is valid, honest and dependable. This is where Mind Your Business, Inc. can help. A cost-effective, reliable company with a quick turnaround, contact us to find out what we can do for you. Not yet persuaded? Have a read of some of our customer testimonials to see just how much we value our customers, and how we can help you.  ]]>