According to the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), approximately 95% of HR departments claim their company consistently conducts some form of background check on incoming employees. Of course, those checks can range from a simple credit check to a fingerprint screening. Not all screenings are the same, and as the Ban the Box movement picks up speed, professional and thorough criminal background checks are becoming more important than ever. But why is this the case?
A Criminal Background Check Can Avoid Company Liability
Employers have a responsibility to ensure the hired employee can handle their new job responsibilities. While you can’t catch every single issue, the big ones can pop out like a sore thumb when running the right background check. For example, if you’re hiring a new driver for a limo service, you don’t want someone who’s had multiple DUI’s behind the wheel, just as you wouldn’t want someone on the sex offender’s registry to be working with kids. Ignoring those red flags can cause your business to be liable for any issues due to professional negligence.
A Criminal Background Check Highlights Previous Criminal Activity
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, approximately 70 million Americans had some type of criminal record in 2017, and some statistics average that to be closer to 100 million in 2021. Regardless, that translates to one-third of American adults who have engaged in criminal activity and been arrested for it at some point. Of course, all criminal activity is not the same, not all criminal activity requires conviction, and the right background check can highlight those details so the hiring manager can decide if the offense was enough to affect the job requirements.
Criminal Background Checks Ensure Workplace and Employee Safety
Some applicants may have dangerous behavioral issues, and the right background check can reveal those concerns. Hiring without running the right check can result in putting a sex offender or violent criminal on the payroll. As a boss or HR personnel, it’s your professional responsibility to ensure safety to the best of your ability for the workplace and all employees. Especially today, workplace safety is a priority, and failing to do everything possible to protect your workers can lead to legal ramifications at the very least.
Running Criminal Background Checks Can Ensure You Hire the Right Candidate
Open positions often need to be filled as quickly as possible to keep the business running smoothly and avoid losing money. However, compromising quality for speed can cost far more in the long run. Almost 75% of employers admit to having hired the wrong person at one point or another. The average cost of just one bad hire is up to 30% of the position’s annual salary. In a job earning $50,000 per year, that can be as much as $15,000 in unnecessary business costs, and that’s just for one employee. Running the right background check can be a pain when put off on an overwhelmed or overworked HR department. Fortunately, the right Chicago private investigator can get your checks done quickly and effectively every time. Give us a call when you’re ready to save time and resources.