Hiring new employees is a time consuming and expensive process. No employer wants to hire a new employee only to have to start the process all over again when that employee does not work out. Background checks can help you ensure that employees are a good fit for your workplace and rule out any safety concerns that may expose your business to theft, fraud or other criminal activity. Consider conducting these three background checks on job applicants.
1. Social Security Number Trace
Social security numbers are a valuable way for employers to confirm that applicants are who they say they are. Social security numbers are also used in wage reporting for tax purposes. Unfortunately, some job applicants who need to conceal their identity, either because of past criminal history or because they lack the authorization to work in the United States, have attempted to use social security numbers that belong to someone else when applying for jobs. An SSN trace can help you ensure that the social security number provided belongs to the person applying for the job. It can also help you discover other names and aliases applicants may have used that may be useful in obtaining their criminal history or running a credit check.
2. Criminal Background Check
Hiring an employee with a past criminal record without doing due diligence can expose an employer to liability if that employee commits a crime in the course of their employment. It is particularly important to be aware of past criminal activity for any employees who will be responsible for caring for vulnerable people, such as employees in education, healthcare or law enforcement environments.
3. Employment History Verification
Many employers place great emphasis on past job experience when selecting which candidates to hire. For this reason, applicants may be tempted to fudge their resumes or applications to include job titles they never held or conceal gaps in their employment history. An employment history verification that includes the dates of employment and job titles held by the applicant can help you confirm that the employment history provided by the applicant is complete and accurate.
There is no foolproof way to make sure you are hiring the right employee, but conducting background checks can help you confirm that you are operating on valid information. State laws govern the types of checks you can do and the authorization you need from applicants to do them.