Why are major corporations in litigation over background checks, when SHRM reports that more than 85 percent of companies perform an employment screen of some kind? The critical piece of information here is “of some kind”. As in all things, there is a difference between doing it and doing it well. To protect your company from unnecessary court time and financial losses, it’s time to make sure you’re “doing it well” when it comes to background screening.
According to a recent post by jdsupra.com, “The one mistake in the hiring process most frequently made by hiring managers is the background check. Either it wasn’t done properly or it wasn’t done at all. In an age where accessing information is easier than it ever has been before, it is foolhardy to not consider researching the background of potential employees prior to commencing employment, particularly where the employee will be in a position of authority or otherwise have access to important information or company resources.”
A simple multi-jurisdictional database search is not enough. While it is less than $10 to perform this check for criminal background information, and many companies are interested in getting the “most economical” screen, this is where years of experience come into play. We know this search is riddled with holes and false positives—reporting is incomplete and not enforced, and name-only searches turn up too much irrelevant information.
If you’re doing the wrong screen, it’s worse than doing nothing at all. With the wrong screen, you’ve created the illusion of due diligence; however, it is only an illusion and the court will see right through it.
When you’re ready to craft a complete screen, relevant to your hiring needs and business requirements, email us. KRESS provides more than a selection of screens—we provide the expertise to make them count. We’ve been helping companies “do it well” for more than 20 years.