Instances of workplace violence, resume falsification, and negligent hiring lawsuits are witnessing a steep rise. In view of this, employee background checks have become indispensable and more important than ever before. An employer would always want to invest time and money in hiring quality employees. The growing BPO industry & software industry demands authenticity in the hiring policies and also want their employees to have a clean record in order to woo their clients. There were many instances in the past like misuse of the customer information, illegal transactions which made companies in banking sector and other information sensitive industries react immediately to re-look into the credentials of their employees. This practice gradually spread to other industries too.
Organizations that pay due diligence to the hiring process are not only considering the education & experience verification but also the personal background verification. Many feel that these background checks cannot predict the efficiency of a particular candidate, but these reports are very useful in identifying negative traits, both large and small. Human resource professionals find the verification process to be very useful in retaining quality employees who would definetely add up to the reputation of the company. Few other companies use this background verifiation policy just to have their clients assured that the project is going into the right hands. There are few companies in the BPO industry who perform background checks only if it is mandated by the client whose business is being taken up. This is due to the cost involved in the process of getting the background verification checks done for all the employees. Many HR managers feel that irrespective of the cost factor and the client mandates, it is good to have a background verification policy in order to have the best work culture.
I have come across many cases in which an employee looses his/her job after being with the company for quite sometime because their background verification check gets a red code. Organizations feel it to be better late than never however the employee will get affected in many ways. It is true that the employees should furnish appropriate data(should always be authentic) while entering into an organization however it would be better if the organization gets the background of a candidate soon after he is successful in the interview instead of having a background verification check after certain time of the employment of the candidate which will ensure that everything is smooth since the beginning.
Employee background verification checks vary in degree of use depending on the job requirement and the organization. Background checks are not difficult to perform and widely used by organizations to make hiring decisions. It may prove to be a complicated process in some cases as there are so many different aspects to be considered.It is also mandated that employers take the consent of applicants prior to conducting background checks. Many organizations have understood the importance of these background verification checks.All employers now have a need for employment screening to ensure they are hiring and training the best candidate. A job seeker would drill down to get the background of a company verified through his own sources before applying for a position into the company, hence the reverse trend started as prospective candidates are now being screened before offering them the job. Time to have a clean back(ground) Huh!
