Run a Business? Why You Need to Include Background Investigations in Your Hiring Process

Posted on: 23 October 2018

If you own a business, you need to know who's working for you. After all, each person you employ is a representation of your business. Unfortunately, you can't learn everything you need to know about a person from their application, or their professionally-prepared resume. That's where the background investigation comes into the picture. With a thorough background investigation, you can validate your candidates and ensure that you hire the right person for the job. Here are just three of the reasons why you need to run a background investigation on your applicants during the hiring process.

Learn More About the Person

When you rely solely on resumes and applications, you can't really get to know the applicants. All you learn is what the applicant provides on the documents. Even when you contact references, you can miss out on vital information. However, when you run a background investigation, you get a more detailed look at your applicants—including information about an applicant's financial and personal life. After all, if your employees work with large sums of money on a daily basis, you might not want to hire someone who is in the midst of financial difficulties.

Provide a Safe Work Environment

When you own a business, you're responsible for employee safety. Part of that safety includes ensuring that you're not hiring individuals who may pose a risk to your staff or customers.

Employee Safety

When you run background investigations, you're able to find out about unfavorable work histories such as sexual harassment claims. Hiring someone who has a history of workplace altercations could put your employees at risk for violence.

Customer Safety

If you run a company that provides services within customer homes, you need to know who you're employing. You can't afford to hire individuals who have a history of violence or theft. A thorough background investigation will identify potential risks to your customers and employees.

Confirm Applicant Information

When you hire new employees and staff, it's vital that the person you hire has the credentials and training they have listed on their application. Unfortunately, many people provide false or misleading information on their applications. When you run background investigations on your applicants, you're able to validate their claims—including educational achievements and work experience.

If you run a business, make sure that you include background investigations in your hiring process. Background investigations ensure that you hire the right people for your organization.

For more information about working with employee credentials, speak with a professional verification service.

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