5 Background Screening Mistakes Companies Make

As an employer, you want to make the best hiring decision by recruiting the right person for the vacant position, but when the basis of your decision is entirely dependent on the information and the references provided by the candidate, it becomes impossible to get the entire picture of the candidate. It is unlikely that you will get relevant information pertaining to their poor driving history, financial troubles, or a criminal record if they have not included these details. This makes it imperative for organizations to conduct background checks on prospective candidates.

But, while conducting the background check process, there are certain privacy laws, which needs to be strictly followed in order to protect the personal data of the individual. Even a good employer can end up stumbling upon this protected information resulting in misinterpretation of information or making incorrect assumptions. This makes organizations miss out on a talented candidate, but the worst thing is they may face lawsuits for discrimination or invasion of privacy. This is one of the many background screening mistakes.

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1. Mistaken Identity

One of the major mistakes made during the background screening process is mixing up the identity of an individual with another person. It can make you get an incorrect screening report which is based on false or inaccurate assumptions. This usually happens when the screening process is done in a hurry resulting in unexpected errors. You can resolve this mistake by asking for a formal application from the candidate to double check their full name, social security number, and also get a copy of their state-issued identity card or a federal passport. By obtaining the correct and precise information of an application or resume, you can reduce the problem of mistaken identity. In case, you come across a criminal history or drug charges in the report, inform the candidate and confirm whether the information is correct before going with the finalization of the report.

2. Consent from the Candidate 

This is a big mistake made by employers. Most of the candidates are aware that the employer will screen them before making an offer. According to the FCRA Act, it is important to let them know about it in advance and get a prior written consent from the candidate before starting the screening process to avoid any discriminatory lawsuit in future.

3. Ignoring the Screening of Temporary Workers

It is important that you screen each and every employee in your organization irrespective of their role and position. This includes temporary and contract-based workers who are not on the full payroll of the organization. If you intentionally ignore to screen the temporary workers and contractors, it can lead to grave risk to your organization because they are not totally committed to the business practices of the organization for the long term. It can result in theft, fraud and harm the safety of the organization. It is a smart investment to screen each and every employee working in the organization, including the temporary workers and contractors to prevent costly mistakes in the future.

4. Wrong time of Conducting the Screening

Conducting the screening process at the beginning of the hiring can mean that there is a great chance of rejecting a candidate in advance if you find any discrepancy in the report. Once you meet the candidate in person, shake the hand and look into the eyes. This makes you feel about giving another chance to the candidate if in case anything wrong comes up in the screening report. Many employers fail to recognize this fact and try to conduct the screening process far too early making them lose out on a potential talented candidate. Avoid this mistake by conducting the background screening process once you have completed at least a couple of rounds of interviews. This will give you ample of time to get relevant information about the candidate which can be used to evaluate the results of the reports.

5. Over-reliance on Social Media

It has been estimated that more than 75% of employers globally look at the social media profiles of the candidate while making a hiring decision. Employers claim that they evaluate their profiles to determine the overall character of the candidate. But, the problem with social media screening is that you can get additional information like religion, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation etc., which can create unnecessary bias in the hiring process.

Conclusion

To avoid making these mistakes, it is important that you hire an employee background verification company that can help you find precise information about the candidate in a swift and efficient manner. The company should also have the requisite knowledge of the legal implications pertaining to background checks, thereby understanding the different laws to avoid assessing the information that you are not authorized to see. With so much at stake in the outcome of the screening process, it is important to ensure that the process is done correctly within the boundaries of the laws affecting it.

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