Q: Last week you discussed using pre-employment background checks. I have a small business and -except for checking references- I currently don’t do any other background checks, but want to start. I only hire 3-4 people a year and the whole thing sounds complicated. Is it worth it? Any tips?
A: Even though I’m always preaching among business owners to change this, most small businesses tend to have casual hiring practices compared to larger organizations and do very little -if any- background screening of applicants. This is understandable. Owners are often busy doing other things, checking background doesn’t seem that important, plus it sounds “complicated”. But I think when you have a small business –especially when you have a cohesive core team- it’s all the more important that each new person you bring on board be a good hire, because -if they become a problem- they have the potential of being much more disruptive than the same person would in a larger organization. Sort of like an out-of-tune instrument being more noticeable in a small band than in an orchestra. So yes, it’s worth it.
Because “background check” is a catch-all term, the first order of business is for you to decide what type of background check you need and for which types of jobs.
A possible list:
- Education/Certification verification- for professional positions
- Driving records- for those using a company vehicle or their own car for business.
- Criminal records*- if handling financial or sensitive matters
- Credit history- if dealing with customer’s information
- Drug testing- usually done for all positions or none
- Employment verifications- same as above
Next, figure out how best to do this. My advice: outsource it. Yes, you pay for the service, but in my opinion it’s priced fairly for avoiding the hassle of doing it yourself. Background-checking companies will help you pick and choose from their options menu (like the list above), and take care of giving applicants the legally required paperwork. Plus, when necessary they’ll assist in handling the delicate procedural task of rejecting an applicant. Some things are best left to the pros.
*Businesses with 15 or fewer employees aren’t affected by EEOC concerns over how criminal record checks affect minority applicants, as discussed last week.
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