Reduce Legal and Financial Risks
Screening applicants with criminal background checks can help to reduce the financial and legal risks associated with hiring. In some cases an employer can be held responsible for an employee’s illegal actions. This is called a negligent hiring lawsuit.
Negligent hiring lawsuits can result in regulatory fines, expensive lawsuits, and damage to the reputation of your business. By conducting a criminal background check, you’ll minimize this risk because you may identify red flags before you finish the hiring process. Some risks may include previous convictions of theft, fraud and violent offenses.
Protecting Workplace Safety
Criminal background checks also play a role in protecting workplace safety for other individuals who already work in the company. It’s important for a business to identify applicants who may have a dangerous history. Especially when it comes to industries like education, retail, healthcare, or other industries where one-on-one exposure may exist.
It’s always important to match the criminal’s history with the job they’ve applied for. For example, if someone has been convicted with theft or money fraud, they may not be suitable for an accountant or money handling job. However if they’ve only had a drunk driving conviction and the job doesn’t require the need to drive a car, they may still be suitable for the position.
Maintaining Company Reputation
Criminal background checks also help to maintain the company’s overall reputation. If theft, poor driving, assault, or other serious incident occurs and the public finds out about it, it can really ruin a company’s reputation.
If a company’s reputation is tarnished, it can cause people to lose trust in that business, which will affect the overall profits of the business. Using criminal background checks can help to minimize the risk of damaging a company’s reputation when hiring in this modern world.
Tips When Using Criminal Background Checks
Partner With Reputable Background Check Providers
When running a background check, it’s important to find reputable providers like Triton Canada or those similar who know how to collect the right information. Reputable providers are able to:
- Provide you with a background check in a timely manner.
- Answer any questions you may have about the background check before you conduct one.
- Give you the correct information you need in order to make an informed decision.
Know the Legal Requirements
For businesses, you need to make sure you’re allowed to legally conduct a background check in the country or state you’re operating in. Criminal background checks need to comply with local laws and federal laws. Before you run a criminal background check don’t forget to:
- Obtain written consent from candidates before conducting a background check and provide them with proper disclosures about their rights.
- Review local legislation on background checks. For instance, some states limit how far back a criminal check can go, while others may restrict the types of criminal history that can be considered in hiring decisions.
Balance Between Safety and Second Chances
When looking at a criminal background check, it’s important to balance the risks, even if the offenses don’t match the job they’re applying for. If a potential hire has a criminal record don’t automatically sign them off. Instead look at:
- How long ago the offense was.
- Have there been any offenses since?
- Does the offense relate to the job they’ve applied for?
- How do they conduct themselves in the interview process?
- Do the risks outweigh their skills for the job at hand?
By weighing these factors, you’ll be able to decide if the person is a threat to your business or not.
Endnote
Hiring new employees can be a stressful time, especially if you have deadlines you need to meet. Running work checks like criminal background checks can help to take off the pressure associated with hiring so you know from the beginning you’re hiring someone who is safe for your company.
