subject: The Importance of Pre-Screening New Employees [print this page] Did you know that pre-screening your new applicants for a job is not mandatory, except in certain occupations? It may not be mandatory but it is the smart thing to do. In today's vulnerable business world, screening should be an automatic process from entry level positions all the way up to the CEO. This is true for small businesses as well as large corporations.
You want the best possible candidate. Not only do you want them to possess all the skills to fulfill your job requirements, but you want them to have a stellar background and be of good character. The cost of the hiring process, from recruiting, to hiring, training and terminating one employee can run around $10,000!
By not completing background checks, your company is left vulnerable to all types of potential loss, from negligent hire lawsuits, where someone in your company harms another person, to the possibility of internal loss of company revenue or even identity theft by breeches of employee or client information.
With the complexity of both state and federal laws, many companies are turning to professional background screening companies. It is quick, easy and efficient. By having a third party company, who will follow Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines, you are assuring yourself and the applicants that everyone applying for the position will be given the same set of questions and the same background checks.
It is not uncommon for a company to have an applicant cover the cost of a background check. There are reputable screening companies out there with "no cost" background screening solutions for small businesses. There is one in particular that offers an applicant some nice extras to go along with their background check. The company is my background check.com. They will set the applicant up with their own account, where they are able to monitor the information gathered on them. If there are discrepancies, they can use dispute resolution services to correct the problem. The applicant is able to monitor their information and see who is making inquiries on their account. They are also able to share this account information with others, for example, to lease an apartment, and apply for a loan or assistance in getting them into school. There is the added bonus of getting a free 90 day trial membership to identity fraud protection services. These reports are FCRA compliant and are on a secure network. Information cannot be altered by an applicant.
Most applicants don't mind paying for their own background check because they know that a company, who is requiring one, wants to provide them with a safe, secure, stress free work environment in which to perform their job.
