Companies are always looking for ways to improve their recruiting process, whether it’s by reducing the time it takes to hire someone for a particular role or creating an efficient background screening for potential employees.
So, really, recruiting is always an ongoing process.
It never really ends if you want to deliver the best recruiting experience for potential candidates, but also for your employees. Being on top of things and trends is a must if you want to be sure you bring on board the best people for your business.
However, there are times when the big picture is forgotten, and companies and entrepreneurs get lost in procedures and over screening procedures.
Let’s look at the do’s and don’ts for employment background screening.
Do #1: Expand Your Information Spectrum
You don’t want to lose great candidates by looking only for a specific item such as experience.
Instead, take into account a candidate’s education, experience, criminal history, social media profiles and any other relevant information. The information gathered will help you have a more accurate idea of a person’s capabilities – and if they might be a good fit for your company.
Do #2: Be Consistent
Candidates applying for the same position should be subject to the same investigation process.
It will ensure coherency in your HR department and avoid discrimination. Training your hiring managers is critical in this process.
Do #3: Have Written Policies in Place
Having written policies in place ensures each background screening is conducted under – and within – federal regulations. It also leaves little room for misinterpretation.
Do #4: Use a Professional Agency
A great professional agency already has the processes and experience to run thorough background screenings on your potential candidates. They can do it faster and better than you.
Now, let’s take a look at the don’ts:
Don’t #1: Don’t Skip or Bend the Law
Each state has its rules for background checks. There are also federal checks and ones specific to the position you’re hiring for. For example, employees that will be around young children, or dealing with sensitive corporate data, may undergo more scrutiny.
Be sure to have your legal team informed before proceeding with background screening. Better be safe than sorry.
Don’t #2: Don’t Limit Your Search
Social media is so popular that there are usually vast amounts of publicly available information online about a potential candidate. Don’t forget to use the traditional ways such as calling former colleagues.
Of course, hiring a specialized background screening agency like ARS takes much of the pressure off of you. You should also keep this option in mind.
Don’t #3: Don’t Run Background Checks Without proper release forms
It is critical that you use a legally compliant consent form. The terminology must be in compliance with the law. It’s better to be careful than to face expensive lawsuits later.
Don’t #4: Don’t Close Communications Channels
Always look for positive and negative information when interviewing your candidate.
When you find something that worries you, talk to the applicant directly and don’t let those misconceptions make a decision for you.
Background screenings are paramount when making a hiring decision. Most of the time it’s just another thing on your plate leaving you very little time to cover everything.
There’s also the fact that recruiting may not be in your domain of expertise. That’s where a specialized agency, like ARS, comes into play.
Over to you – what’s your do’s and don’ts when it comes to employment screening procedures? We’d like to hear them!