Get the Best Candidates With the Help of Background Screening Companies
Introduction
Finding the right employee for your company can be a tedious process. The rigorous application process, sometimes composed of multiple rounds of interviews and written exams, is done to check whether applicants have the skills and experience to perform the tasks assigned to them on the job. Although tedious, this procedure is essential to ensure that the new worker positively contributes to their team.
Another part of the application process is conducting background checks, which are done to provide a comprehensive understanding of “who” the candidate is. Their employment history and qualifications for the job will be inspected to see if they have any potential red flags that can impact their performance or even damage the company’s reputation.
By conducting background screenings, you can gain insightful information about the candidate and verify what is written on their resume. This is a way to avoid fraud and other potential criminals who may wish to infiltrate your organization. The problem with background checks, however, is that they can be quite complex, depending on certain factors.
No worries, though, because background screening companies in the Philippines are here to help. You can reach out to us at Q2 HR Solutions to learn how we can assist you in this area. If you wish to further understand what background checks are and why they are essential, reading this article is a great start.
What Are Background Screenings?
In a nutshell, background checks allow employers like you to gather valuable information about job candidates. This process helps you verify a candidate's qualifications, work history, and education before signing a contract.
There are cases when your in-house human resource department can do this process. However, you can also request help from a background screening service provider in the Philippines to make the process easier for your team.
Background checks are always recommended to ensure that a candidate is the right fit for your company. They are even required in specific jobs or industries, such as:
Health Care – Background checks are crucial in the health care industry for ensuring patient safety and maintaining public trust. Those who work in this field have direct contact with the sick and vulnerable, so verifying their qualifications, work history, and any potential issues is necessary to avoid compromising the welfare of patients.
Education – Workers in the education sector primarily deal with children, teens, and young adults, who should not be anywhere near people who have a history of abuse, negligence, or other related issues. For this reason, background screenings are essential for school administrators before hiring new teachers and staff.
Banking and Finance – Banks and other financial institutions deal with sensitive information and transactions, making it crucial for employers to ensure the trustworthiness of the people they hire. Background checks help verify a candidate's qualifications, work history, and credit history, ensuring they are responsible and honest.
Why Do Employers Conduct Background Screenings?
Business owners often work with pre-employment assessment services providers to conduct a thorough background check on their applicants. Here are a few reasons they do so:
Improve Workforce Quality
As an employer, you want what's best for your company. This involves hiring employees with the qualifications and experience to perform their jobs effectively and contribute to the company's success. Conducting background screenings is necessary to determine a candidate's work history, certifications, and educational information to ensure they have the skills and experience they claim to have.
Protect Company Reputation
Background checks can help identify potential concerns, too, including a history of unethical behavior or poor performance in the workplace. Such issues can mean they do not follow the proper conduct at work. In the long run, these problems will impact how they do the tasks assigned to them, and when not resolved immediately, they can also damage the company’s reputation.
By conducting thorough background checks on your applicants, you can ensure that you only hire people who uphold your company's values and align with your goals. They are the individuals who can likely contribute positively to the success of your business.
Prevent or Reduce Criminal Activity
Companies are encouraged not to discriminate against ex-convicts and give them a second chance as they try to turn a new leaf. Some experts even claim that hiring these people can be good for the business, especially if their offense is irrelevant to their job or tasks. However, it is still your sole prerogative as an employer to prevent those with criminal records from joining your team.
You can conduct background checks to ensure that your applicants do not have any relevant criminal records they fail to disclose. This way, you can protect your company, customers, clients, and other employees.
What Do Background Screenings Show?
When you request help from background screening companies in the Philippines, they can help you check several aspects of an applicant’s work circumstances, including the following:
Employment History
Background screening companies can help you verify an applicant's employment history. This is done by cross-checking the information they provided in their résumé with records from the companies they claim to have worked in. In some cases, calling previous employers is necessary to confirm if they have worked there.
Background checkers can also ask for related information during conversations with previous employers. They can include the applicant’s work ethic and performance.
Educational Information
Educational information will be checked, too. Background screeners will look at public documents and other relevant sources to determine if the applicant attended the school they wrote in their resume.
Claimed educational achievements will also be checked. This is sometimes done if an applicant claims to have graduated with flying colors or received honors but fails to show any proof.
Criminal History
Checking applicants' criminal records is important for a wide range of reasons. Here are a few:
Protect Your Employees, Customers, and Company – As an employer, it is one of your duties to ensure the safety of your organization, along with the well-being of your employees and customers. By identifying individuals with a history of criminal acts (especially offenses relevant to your industry), you can prevent the risk of illegal activities within the company.
Uphold Your Company’s Values – As an organization, you should have a set of principles that you strive to uphold and cherish. By checking applicants' criminal records, you can ensure that you are not letting in people who might not share the same values as you and your other employees.
Comply With Standards and Regulations – In some industries, companies are not just encouraged but required to conduct background checks to determine the criminal history of their applicants. If you do not want to violate the law accidentally, check the legal records of those applying to work for you.
Social Media Activity
Social media screenings are gaining popularity these days and are becoming a significant part of doing background checks. As an employer, you can look at the social media accounts of your applicants to gain valuable insights into their personality and values.
When doing so, you can only check posts that are made public. A few potential red flags to be aware of are:
Inconsistency With Their Resume – Social media updates can be used to verify some of the information included in an applicant’s résumé. Certain inconsistencies can raise questions about their honesty and reliability.
Negative Behavior – One major red flag is negative behavior in different social media platforms. If an applicant posts content that is not aligned with your company’s values, it can be a sign that they will not be a good fit for your team.
Sharing of Confidential Information – Some people share confidential information about their previous jobs, which can be a sign that they should not be trusted with anything sensitive. In the same vein, oversharing personal data can be a red flag.
Offering Reliable Outsourced Background Screening Services
Q2 HR Solutions is here to help you if you ever need someone to conduct background checks on your applicants. We have been offering this service for quite a while, so you can rest assured that we can perform it without trouble. For more information, you can contact our team.
FAQs About Background Screening Companies in the Philippines
Which Is the Best Background Screening Company?
There is no objective “best” background screening company in the Philippines. However, if you are looking for a firm that offers quality services at an affordable rate, you can partner with us at Q2 HR Solutions.
What Is the Most Common Type of Background Check?
Criminal record checks are most commonly done during pre-employment assessments. Doing so is necessary to protect the company and its employees and ensure they abide by industry regulations and legal standards.
Which Part of a Background Check Takes the Longest?
The entire background check process can take a while, usually between two and five business days, if there are no delays. The most tedious part varies per applicant, but it usually involves obtaining records from previous companies, schools, and government institutions to verify employment history, educational information, and criminal records.
Conclusion
Background checks are necessary for a wide range of reasons. For starters, they must ensure that candidates for a particular position are qualified for the job they are applying for and are not just overselling themselves. They can also verify other information, such as educational attainments and criminal records.
Q2 HR Solutions is here to help you during pre-employment assessments. We are a background screening company in the Philippines that you can trust. Contact our team today for more information about our services.
