There are a lot of factors to consider when screening job applicants. These include whether they have the required skills or training needed for the job and whether or not they have a good work history, which can be established through references.
Employers must not only consider if the applicant has the right aptitude and abilities to successfully perform the job; they should also determine whether or not the potential employee has a criminal record. While this may not always indicate that the person isn’t the right fit for the opening with your business, it will ensure that you’re aware of potential issues and risks prior to making a decision to hire someone.
It’s easy to run a free criminal background check.The only thing a background check will cost you is time, but it can save you a lot of complications if you find out later that an employee has a record.
There are several specific reasons to run a background check as part of your hiring process – here are four of those:
1. Protect Your Business
Every company works to build a reputation to attract customers, and the last thing that employers want is damage to their reputation through issues with a staff person. Running a criminal background check helps ensure that you can evaluate the potential risks of hiring a person with a record and make the right choice before hiring.
Not every person with a criminal record is an employment risk. A person convicted of a misdemeanor may be a good prospect while a person convicted of a felony may be a business risk. If you hire someone and clients find out they have a criminal record before you do you may receive complaints or even lose business.
Determining whether the individual has a record before deciding to hire them can prevent the potential legal considerations if you wish to terminate employment later and save you the time required to repeat the hiring process if you need to replace an employee who has a record.
2. Protect Your Customers
Without clients, businesses close. It is always important for employers to consider their clients when hiring staff. If you know that a person has a record for sexual assault you may automatically remove them from consideration, but there may be no threat to your customers if the applicant was convicted of a misdemeanor for spraying graffiti.
Completing a criminal background check can ensure that you do not expose your customers to individuals who have a history of theft or assault and pose a potential risk to your clients.
3. Protect Your Staff
Good staff can be hard to find. It can be damaging to a company’s reputation if they are regularly losing good staff and struggling to replace them. Factors that can jeopardize employee retention include your business’s reputation.
Learning that your company has hired someone with a criminal record for a serious offense can not only damage your company’s image, but cause current employees to seek employment elsewhere if they believe the new staff person poses a threat. In the event there is an incident, such as theft of belongings or physical threat or harm, it could lead to lawsuits, bad press, and loss of established, qualified employees.
4. Protect Yourself From Exposure
Whether your business involves driving clients in vehicles or providing access to recreational facilities, there is always a chance that your customers may be hurt. Maintaining protection through insurance is one reason it’s important to run a criminal background check.
Some insurance companies will not provide insurance coverage for individuals with a criminal record. In some cases, the cost of insurance may increase.
It is important for you to be aware of these risks prior to making a decision to hire someone with a criminal record so that you can ensure you have the insurance coverage you require, and to ensure that your operating costs are not adversely affected.
