Resources for Employee Background Checks

You’re taking a huge gamble if you’re hiring a CEO, a subcontractor, a babysitter, or even a potential tenant or roommate without conducting a background check. Unfortunately, it is in the nature of business for people to go to great lengths to misrepresent themselves, necessitating the use of background check resources and references.

Keep these five main things in mind when doing business with dishonest people:

Personal References

A personal reference may be someone the candidate knows, but they are unlikely to have worked with. Requests for references from landlords or people searching for a nanny for their children should still be business references rather than personal ones. The landlord-tenant relationship, like the relationship between nannies and in-home health care workers and their employers, is still a business. Personal references have become one of those overused catchphrases that hides the true work of thorough, responsible reference checking.

Background Checks

Another catchall word is background check, which refers to verifying the authenticity of basic information submitted by an applicant for jobs or anything similar. It’s a vital step in the employee selection process because it allows the prospective employer to whittle down the pile of applicants to only those candidates that are, at the very least, who they think they are.

Although deciding whether or not the applicant is who he or she says he or she is, is a significant first step, it should eventually lead to actual reference checks. There is so much more to learn about a job seeker, a potential tenant, or even a babysitter before making a final decision. And the only way to find out is to speak with people who have worked with, leased to, or been served or cared for by the candidate.

Problems with Job Applications

Employers may take a number of steps to improve the probability of getting truthful answers to work performance questions:

1. Always request a resume from the job seeker that includes a full work history, including dates of employment for each position held.
2. Inquire about the name of the person to whom the candidate reported directly.
3. Employers should often encourage job applicants to complete a formal job application that includes the same questions. You’ll get a rundown of the activities for which the job seeker was responsible at each role held in some way, even if you have to ask for it during the first interview.

A red warning flag could appear in the prospective employer’s mind if the list of references does not include at least one of the people to whom the applicant reported directly. Some job seekers would claim that they didn’t list a previous supervisor as a guide because the two of them didn’t get along, which is understandable, but there must be at least ONE supervisor who can be a reference in an individual’s entire work history. If it is true that the candidate has never worked with a boss before, it is best to look for someone else for the role.

No, not every job has a happy ending, but by following the above guidelines, one can reduce the chances of being burnt or recruiting the wrong person for the job. It is often preferable to have more information about a job seeker than to have less. We achieve the majority of our objectives by collaborating with others, so picking the right ones is crucial.