Running a background check doesn’t mean that you necessarily believe that the person being checked has something to hide, it is just a great way to not only learn how a person will fit in at the office but to also find out if there is any potentially concerning information that could negatively impact your business or company.
If you want to know more about how to run a background check on an employee, you should read the HR Resource Guide that tells you recent topics and updates in Human resource field. You should search for reputable and authentic websites from the Internet.
There are many reasons to conduct an employee background check and you may have your own reasons depending on your line of work. However, before you start running background checks on your employees, there are some things that you will need to keep in mind.
- Know the correct way
The first thing that you will need to know about running background checks on your employees is that there is a right way to do this and a wrong way. In fact, if you do a background check in the wrong way you could face legal charges. You will need to become very familiar with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) before even beginning a background check and if you are doing the background check yourself, you will need to also be familiar with the labour laws in your state. If you feel unsure about any of this, you may want to consider hiring a firm to do your background checks. They are affordable and know the laws.
- Should have clarity why run a background check
You should also know that a background check can reveal. Depending on the position and the type of business you are in, the background check may be looking for different things. For example, if you are in the transportation field, you will likely want to check the driving records of employees but this would not be necessary for a retail store. Some of the things that a background check can reveal are verifications of past education and employment, references, credit history or bankruptcy, criminal histories, drug use and gaps in employment.
- Aware of the legal ramification
Being aware of the legal ramifications of having this information can also be important and something that you should be aware of before running a background check. These records will need to be confidential at all times for example. You are also legally bound to tell someone if there is information that was found in their report that caused you not to hire them. Anytime you choose to pass by a potential employee because of a criminal, financial or driving record, you must reveal that information to them.
- Should know how to use the information
Finally, now that you have this information, you will need to know how you can use it. As mentioned above, you can use the information to make hiring decisions, but there are many regulations on how you can use the information. These regulations may be different from state to state so make sure that you are following the rules. If you are in doubt, speaking with an employment lawyer can be very helpful.
As you can see, there are several things that you will need to keep in mind before going through background checks on employees. It is always a good idea, in order to save your company’s reputation, to get assistance from a legal representative or background check company before doing this on your own.