Employment Background Check

A major reason to conduct background and reference checks is to avoid harm or legal liability of various types to the employer or to others. This includes harm to:

• Other employees by sexual harassment or workplace violence.
• The organization’s customers by, for example, sexual assault on business premises.
• The public by negligent driving.
• The employer’s business through financial loss or image and reputational issues.

Defense of legal claims, such as negligent hiring, is a compelling reason to conduct in-depth criminal records searches of job applicants. A multilevel jurisdictional criminal records search can be strong evidence that the employer exercised due care in hiring.

Hire the best and reject the rest, the saying goes. Typically, past performance is a strong indicator of future performance and can reveal an individual’s professionalism, productivity, job skills and interpersonal communication abilities. A reference check helps distinguish between a true high flier and a mere poser.

Data Verification

Verifying the information provided by the applicant regarding his or her education and credentials, employer history, tenure, and other data will not only confirm required qualifications but can provide some insight into the applicant’s reliability and motivation. According to a 2018 HireRight report, 85 percent of employers surveyed uncovered a lie or misrepresentation on a candidate’s resume or job application during the screening process—up from 66 percent five years ago