by: Steve Valentino

As an employer, it is understandable that you want to know as much
as possible about a prospective employee. A combination of
employment application, personal references and background
investigations can give you a sense of peace when entrusting an
individual with responsibilities within your company. It is also
important that employers not rely solely upon the employment
application alone. It is estimated that up to 30% of all
applications contain some type of falsifications or fabrications.
Many methods exist to inquire about the background of a candidate.

One of the most utilized types of background checks is the criminal
background investigation. All businesses handle some type of
sensitive information of some degree. Retail businesses want to be
sure prospective employees are clean from theft charges to reduce
the instance of employee theft. Businesses or non-profits dealing
with children and/or seniors are legally obligated to know the
backgrounds of their employees. We have all heard the horror stories
of an abusive childcare worker with a criminal background in which
the employer was unaware. It is vital for the safety and security of
both the business and those served that employers perform a thorough
investigation of each employee.

Employers should be careful to limit the information that they need
based on the responsibilities of the specific job function. For
example, when hiring an employee that will handle cash transactions,
employers will need to know if the candidate has had any prior
convictions regarding theft. It is also mandatory that the types of
background investigations to be performed are clearly outlined in
any pre-employment literature. With the increasing concern about
privacy, it is in the employer’s best interest to be upfront and
honest about any inquiry of this nature.

The implementation of criminal background checks can greatly reduce
the financial loss of a company by weeding out those who have
criminal convictions. Another instance where criminal background
checks can be useful is when an employee will be dealing with the
public sector. In order to limit the likelihood of negligence
lawsuits, employers should consider criminal background checks as a
standard pre-employment screening tool.

When calling upon a private investigation firm, an employer might
not be sure of what information they really need. However, some of
the most common concerns are about criminal conviction. In regards
to criminal background checks, the Fair Credit Reporting Act
prohibits employers from rejecting employment to those who have been
charged but not convicted of a crime. When interviewing a private
investigation firm, it is important to find out what information
they gather and from what sources. Employers can be held liable of
violating Federal law if they reject employment based on this type
of information.

About the author:
Background Checks Info provides detailed information about criminal,
employment, online, executive, and personal background checks.
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