Hire Smart With Background Investigations

Hire Smart with Background Investigations 

In July, The Business Journal reported the indictment of a local Human Resources Manager on charges of embezzling more than $1 million from her employer. More recently, another Fresno business discovered that a member of Senior Management had been convicted of embezzlement and theft from a previous employer – the charges coming to light when she was unable to report to work after being arrested on a related warrant. (When applying for the job, this person falsified her résumé to hide the time period and former employer involved.)

In addition to the financial impact of these key employees’ actions, their employers were no doubt left with feelings of anger, betrayal, and dismay as to how they could have hired someone with such dubious ethics. The fact is, job candidates can edit a résumé and craft interview responses to put forth a trustworthy impression, but studies have shown that:

• 75% of applications contain misleading information

• 44% of applicants lie about their work history

• 41% of applicants lie about their education

• 9% of applicants have a criminal history

An essential step in hiring the best people, from entry-level staff to top executives, is conducting a thorough, job-related background investigation including criminal records and employment history. It may also be important to verify educational background if the position requires a college degree. Other types of searches include civil filings, credit history, and professional license verification. Savvy hiring managers should compare information on the applicant’s authorization forms to the documents provided during the onboarding process – candidates may try to avoid detection by giving a false birth date or driver’s license number for the background investigation.

Whether you’re pressed for time in filling a position or simply want to believe the best about a candidate, a background check may seem inconsequential. But when adding a new employee to your team, particularly one in a key management role, it’s one of the smartest business decisions you can make.

However, do your homework when selecting a background check provider and ensure that they do not simply rely on database searches. One screening company studied federal corrections databases and found a “41% error rate.” That’s because many screeners don’t bother to check original court records to verify the status of cases. These screening companies often rely only on bulk databases that aren’t properly updated.

Sierra HR Partners can provide complete, legally-compliant background investigation services to help you hire with confidence.  Please contact us or visit our background investigations page for details.

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