Pre-Employment Background Checks: A Quick and Helpful Guide for Businesses
Introduction
As a business owner, it's crucial for you to hire the right people, mainly because they play a fundamental role in driving your company's success. Skilled and qualified employees contribute significantly to higher productivity and efficiency, leading to better performance and increased profitability.
However, besides skills and qualifications, there are plenty of other underlying factors to consider when finding people to join your team. This is where pre-employment screenings come in handy. The process involves checking the background of potential candidates before offering them employment, and it is done with the aid of experts or third-party companies, like Q2 HR Solutions.
In this article, we will discuss how these pre-employment background verification processes can help your business. Read through the rest of the page to learn about these screenings' specific areas.
What Does a Pre-Employment Background Check Cover?
When conducting pre-employment screenings, especially if you’re hiring third-party companies like Q2 HR Solutions, there are many areas that will be covered. Here are the most common ones:
Criminal Record
Screening criminal records involves checking a candidate's legal history to ensure that they do not have any prior convictions that could pose a risk to your company, your current employees, and your customers. The process typically includes searching public databases for misconduct and criminal offenses.
However, criminal record screenings should be conducted in a way that complies with current laws and regulations to avoid discrimination. Job relevance, for example, is taken into consideration. If a candidate has been convicted of fraud before, hiring them in a position that handles finances may not be right. However, if they have unrelated offenses (like traffic violations or disorderly conduct), you can still consider them if they have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job.
Employment History
Employment history verification is a crucial aspect of background screenings for employees. It involves thoroughly assessing a candidate's work experience and verifying past job titles and responsibilities. In some cases, relevant salary information and reasons for leaving previous positions are also determined during the process.
This verification process ensures the accuracy and truthfulness of the information candidates provide in their resumes or job applications. Access to information about an applicant’s work history allows you to confirm if they have the qualifications and skills needed for your vacant position.
Reference Checks
When someone applies for a job at your company, you can ask them to provide several professional references. These people, typically their previous employers, colleagues, or mentors, can offer insights into their work performance, skills, and ethics, allowing you to gauge their suitability for the role.
Contacting these references helps you gather valuable feedback from individuals with firsthand experience working with the candidate. This process enables you to assess the candidate's capabilities, character, and professional conduct from a perspective that goes beyond what is presented on their resume or during interviews.
In many cases, a candidate’s professional references are also working individuals. You may find it hard to contact them, but here are a few tips that can help you:
Send a Text Message or Email – The candidate will provide you with the contact information of their references. You can send them a text message or email informing them that someone they know wishes to join your company. Tell them you want to have a quick call with them to ask a few questions about your applicant.
Wait for Their Reply – Give them ample time to reply, a few business days at the most (because both you and your candidate are waiting). Call them at their preferred time.
Call and Ask Relevant Questions – Before making the call, ensure you have your questions prepared. Keep the call as short as possible. When everything is done, be sure to thank them for their time and assistance.
Social Media Presence
When professional background screeners conduct a social media presence review, they delve into various aspects of a candidate's online presence across platforms. They typically look at LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, among other social media sites.
This process aims to get insights into the candidate's professional image, behavior, and communication style in the digital realm. It also helps spot potential red flags, such as:
Inappropriate Behavior or Content – This can be posts or comments containing offensive language, discriminatory remarks, or hate speech. It can also include content that promotes violence, harassment, illegal activities, and views against your company’s core values.
Negative Comments About Employers or Colleagues – Publicly criticizing employers and colleagues, both current and previous, can indicate demotivation and unprofessionalism. It is highly possible for them to post something about your company, too, if they ever join your team.
Posts With Confidential Information – Sharing confidential information about employers, clients, and other stakeholders raises concerns about the individual's trustworthiness. They may not have the skill to handle sensitive information well.
Medical Screening
Medical tests for pre-employment screenings ensure that candidates meet the health and physical requirements for the role they are applying for. They are vital in safety-sensitive industries or positions where employee health directly impacts job performance or public safety.
It is essential, however, for you to conduct these screenings in compliance with applicable laws. Be sure to maintain candidate confidentiality and only use the obtained information to make informed hiring decisions.
Partner With Experts for Comprehensive Pre-Employment Screenings
Pre-employment background checks provide necessary insights that help you make a more informed decision before you hire an applicant. The process involves criminal record checks, professional reference interviews, medical screenings, social media reviews, and employment history verification.
If you need a third-party company that can conduct excellent pre-employment screenings in the Philippines, we are the right one to call. Here at Q2 HR Solutions, we can provide the necessary services to streamline your recruitment and employment process. We are here to help you every step of the way, from finding and contacting the right candidate to onboarding and endorsing them to your team.
Contact Q2 HR Solutions today for more information about our services. Our staff members will be more than happy to assist you with your queries.
