Background Checks - A Pre-employment Necessity

There are many prospective employees/applicants in the system with fake credentials and other personal data.

Some of them have past career history of theft, office violence and impersonation. Consequently, organizations have suffered huge loses and financial setbacks ranging from fraud, cost of fund recovery, court cases and assault in work environment.

Cases of employees with notable records of armed robbery experience in all the companies engaged, fake certificates and addresses which were traced to uncompleted buildings, undeveloped plots of land and impersonation of guarantors are commonly experienced by organizations.

These could have been averted if applicant's past history and personal data were verified through background checks as part of hiring process.

Why Background Checks?

• It ensures safe and enabling environment
• Eliminates unnecessary loss
• Employees turnover is minimized
• Right people are hired
• Ensures accurate information of employee's details
• Attracts credible and quality applicants
• Discourages applicants with hidden agenda
• Boosts image of the company
• Eliminates cost of repeated recruitment process
• Interest of customers and other stake holders are assured
• Organization is confident of quality of employees, products and services
• Increases productivity and efficiency
• Minimizes overhead cost
• High profit margin
• Finally, it increases bottom line

Types of Background Checks:

Basic Background Checks

The instruments used in carrying out basic background checks are Verification of

• Employee's Residential/Contact Address
• Academic Reference
• Employer Reference
• Employee's Personal Reference

Thorough Background Checks

• Employee's Residential/Contact Address
• Permanent Home Address
• Academic Certificates/Results
• Employee's Guarantors
• Employer Reference
• May be Past criminal record.

In the absence of background checks, organizations may stand the risk of employing applicants with past record of theft, forgery, impersonation and violent behaviour.

However, background checks can go wrong by producing misleading report if:

• professionalism was not applied
• wrong process was followed
• the report lacked relevant and detailed information
• inaccurate report was produced
• the report lacked empirical evidence
• unethical practices were involved
• wrong approach was used.

These are eliminated through validity process and quality assurance which ensure authentic and acceptable report. So to avoid such scenario, management should look beyond her nose to ensure that professionals are given the opportunity to provide quality services.