Understanding the Importance of Background Checks

It is prudent for employers to carry out background checks during a hiring process, especially if the potential employee is going to work in a hazardous setting, or with children or vulnerable people. When a business hires new employees, they are choosing to invest resources and time in an individual as there will be paperwork, training, and of course, the remuneration involved. 

Recruiting new employees can be a challenge and businesses must get it right, which is why owners and managers need to understand the importance of background checks, which can help to root out any candidates that could be a liability or being less than truthful about their experience. 

If your business is recruiting, then you may want to consider carrying out background checks on candidates as they can provide several advantages, which you can read more about below.

You Can Check For Criminal History

One of the most common reasons businesses do background checks is to flag candidates’ previous criminal history. As stated by the professionals at DBS Checks, there are several sectors where criminal background checks are mandatory, including education and health care. However, any business may wish to request a clean criminal history to ensure their customers and staff are kept safe.  

Employment Background Can Be Verified

Unfortunately, the majority of job applicants bend the truth or consider lying during the recruitment process, common inconsistencies are related to proficiency in skills, work experience, and educational attainment. Companies can however carry out background screenings by checking with past employers and educational institutions.

Checking the employment background of candidates is vitally important as hiring the wrong person can lead to negative effects in many areas including customer service, productivity, quality control, and team morale.

Checks Make Workplaces Safer 

Businesses have a legal responsibility to protect their employees and customers when they are on their premises or using their products or services. Therefore, a company should run background checks on potential new staff to flag any criminal, immoral or unethical behavior including bullying, dangerous practices, harassment, recklessness, racism, or sexism in past employment. 

Ensuring you have checked the background of all your employees will help to create a safer work environment that fosters an equitable and inclusive culture.

Safeguarding Customer Data and Cybersecurity

Many businesses market and sell products and services online, which involves handling, processing, and storing data specific to customers. Businesses have a legal duty to safeguard customer information and private information from data breaches and cybersecurity threats. By making sure new hires go through background checks, companies can reduce the risk of internal data breaches, which can be very costly to their reputation.

Improved Compliance With the Law

Screening applicants will help you to determine whether they can meet all the legal requirements associated with the job position, for example, employers can check the candidate has the correct paperwork, qualifications, and permission to work in the UK. 

Businesses and institutions often need to hire new employees, however, it is easy to select the wrong applicants if their background and history are not checked and verified, which can lead to many problems later on. For this reason, employers must understand why background checks are important to protect their customers, operations, reputation, and workers.