You’ve looked at hundreds of resumes, conducted several rounds of interviews and now you believe you’ve found the perfect person for your company. But are they really perfect?? So many business owners fail to complete a full background check on candidates or confirm their credentials. It can be time consuming and falls through the cracks in your rush to fill an open position. This can lead to potentially disastrous consequences for you and your company.
To be confident in your new candidate make sure you are checking these areas as part of your hiring process:
Driving History
If they are operating vehicles for your company, review their driving records closely. You can usually obtain this information from the local DMV, since they keep records of traffic violations, driving-related offenses, and identifying information. However, to obtain this information, you will need to supply their full name, date of birth, address, and license number.
Social Media
Do their social media channels represent someone who would be a good fit at your company? The 2014 edition of Jobvite’s Social Recruiting Survey found that the worst thing an applicant can do on social media is make references to illegal drugs. Other blunders include sexual posts, extreme profanity, guns, and alcohol. Make sure their character online matches with what they presented in the interview, and is in alignment with your company culture.
Education
Often, the easiest way to confirm education is to ask the applicant directly for proof. You can also call the educational institution the person claimed to have attended, and they will usually verify whether or not the applicant attended and graduated from that school. Due to Family Educational Right and Privacy Act, the school cannot release specific records.
Drug Testing and Criminal Background Check
Employees with drug addictions can compromise the safety of the workplace, and sometimes not put their best effort into the job. Some states have laws requiring all employees to be drug tested. These tests can vary, and test for a single drug, or even 10 to 12 different drugs. Require pre-employment drug screening at a local lab as well as a criminal background check. The minor costs will be offset by your peace of mind.
References (yes, actually call them)
Checking references is a good practice to make a habit. While applicants won’t usually put down names of people that would give them poor reviews, something the reference says in conversation might tip you off as to whether this applicant would be a good hire. Try to ask for specific examples showing the candidate’s skills or personal values. They could have the potential to help in more than just one area of your company—talk about lucking out!
Being disciplined about fully understanding the candidate you are bringing into your company can eliminate potentially damaging consequence for your business. Make these practices part of your process to protect yourself now and in the future.
Note: When an employer conducting a background check, it’s important to ensure you’re following all Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Federal Trade Commission (EOCC and FTA) regulations. Most of these regulations revolve around discriminatory practices, such as using a person’s genetic background against them in the hiring process, and making sure race and age do not prevent a well-qualified person from getting the job.