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What You Need to Know About Pre-Employment Background Checks

Hiring a new employee for your business is a big investment. Every business wants to find the best talent and keep them with the organization for years to come. If you get the hiring process right, you can give your business a massive boost and help to guarantee future success. There are various factors that go into making the right hires, but one of the most important is checking the history of potential new employees. The best way to do this is with a comprehensive background check because this will bring to light any issues which may affect your business.

To help everyone make the right hiring decisions, here is what you need to know about pre-employment background checks.

What You Need to Know About Pre-Employment Background Checks

What Checks Should You Make on a Potential Employee?

There are different levels of background check depending on how much information you want to know about a person. Every business needs to check a potential employee’s employment history, education, references, and criminal record. In addition, there may be additional information you want to know which is more specific to the role which is being filled. This may include credit history, driving records, bankruptcy records, global search lists, and a directorship search. In certain industries like the financial industry, there are other stringent checks to ensure that a person is fit and proper for a role such as no history of fraud or financial mismanagement.

What are the Three Main Types of Pre-Employment Background Checks?

Background checks vary from country to country. In the UK, for example, there are three main types of checks; basic disclosure, standard disclosure, and enhanced disclosure.

Basic Disclosure

This is the lowest level of check in the UK and can be obtained by anyone for any reason. Through what the professionals refer to as basic disclosure checks, businesses can find out if a potential employee has any unspent criminal convictions. It will not show any convictions which have been spent or are no longer on a person’s criminal record.

Standard Disclosure

This is the next level of check which in addition to unspent convictions, will also tell you about any spent convictions or those which have gone beyond the statute of limitations and have been removed from a person’s record. This check is only available for a specific reason which must be explained upon request.

Enhanced Disclosure

This is the highest level of check and is only available for very specific positions. It includes all legal matters including both spent and unspent convictions, police cautions, reprimands, and warnings.

Why are Checks Important?

Background checks are crucial to check the qualifications of a potential hire, verify their character, and ensure the safety and security of your business. While everyone deserves a second chance after a criminal conviction, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be with your business. The last thing you want to do is hire someone who is a habitual workplace criminal because you didn’t do the due diligence.

The right employees can propel a business forward to success but making the wrong hires can have a major negative impact. It is crucial that you obtain as much information as possible about every potential employee so you can check the veracity of their application and ensure that they are a suitable candidate for the role.

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