 |
Employment
Background Screening
Part of the Government Hiring Process
Understanding
the employment background screening process will make the
hiring process go a lot smoother.
Employment
background screening is the process of carrying out background checks
on potential candidates.
It is considered by
employers, to be necessary in this day and age.
This is
especially true of pre employment screening for work in government
agencies and civil service positions.
Employers pay
out a lot of money to hire employees and a bad decision can cost a
company a lot of money.
So, it's argued that by pre
screening candidates, organizations can deter those who would try to
falsify their application (with a fake background or education for
example).
Background checks vary from organization
to organization...or in the federal government's case, from agency to
agency.
What is included in a background check can
vary. Background checks can access a full range of data including:
In addition to the higher profile background screening listed above,
some other aspects an employment may check could include:
- Social
Security Number
Verification
- Workers’
Compensation History
These
are only a few examples. There are quite a bit of other
factors to consider as well.
Employers can
gain a lot of information about candidates for a relatively
low cost.
One of the benefits of a employment
background screening is that potential employees know upfront what to
expect.
Research suggests that job seekers are
anxious to work in a safe environment, so working for an employer who
conducts pre employment screening is seen in favorable light by many.
Regardless
of the size of a business, pre-employment screening is a necessary
hiring practice to avoid lawsuits and costly hiring mistakes.
Gone
are the days of a simple reference check and a few phone calls to
screen new employees.
Amid security concerns,
corporate scandals, and workplace violence, pre-employment screening
has been gaining ground.
Some background checks and
pre employment screening involve the use of psychometric testing to
determine the background and identity of hiring a new employee.
Background
checking is a popular method of pre-employment screening. Over 96% of
HR professionals report that their companies do background checks of
new hires.
Investigating the background of a
potential hire can help minimize the risk of negligent-hiring lawsuits.
A
company can be held liable for the actions of a new employee especially
if they did not perform a background check.
It's
important to note that businesses comply with the host country's laws,
such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the American With
Disabilities Act.
Under the FCRA, a business is
required to have employees sign a disclosure form granting
authorization to perform a background check.
The
FCRA is not just restricted to credit reports but includes all
“consumer reports." Laws will vary from state to state in how and what
information can be used during the pre-employment screening process.
For
instance, your state laws may prohibit using certain aspects of a
criminal record during a background check.
Don't
forget to check out the other various Employment
Background Screening
sections, such as: Employment
Credit Check, Medical
Background Check, Employment
Drug Screening, Education
Background Check, Criminal
Background Check
and Polygraph
Test.
In addition, you may want to check out some additional information
if you are considering
the Federal
Government jobs
arena.
Please
subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Career Advice E-Zine,
if you have not done so already. It tells you each month about the new
information that I have added. Just fill in the form below and click on
the Subscribe button.
|
|
