The Basics Of A Criminal Background Check

Employers have to check off a lot of boxes when it comes to selecting the right candidates for their available job positions. In addition to analyzing the work experiences, academic accomplishments and personal characteristics of the job applicants they interview, they need to take deeper looks into the backgrounds of their potential new hires. This requires a criminal background check for each candidate.

Naturally, it’s in a company’s best interests to know whether or not the people it plans on adding to its staff have criminal histories. After all, people aren’t always truthful on both their resumés and during their job interviews. As Alysha Feasby of Canadian HR Reporter reveals, “a 2015 survey by CareerBuilder Canada that found 49 per cent of more than 400 hiring managers have caught a lie on a job applicant’s resumé.”

There are three types of criminal background checks.

In order to properly screen job candidates before offering employment, employers may conduct police record checks, police information checks and/or vulnerable sector record checks.

Police record checks determine whether or not a candidate has a criminal record. It’s a search based on an applicant’s name as well as any aliases he/she may have, date of birth and gender. The check will uncover any information that is related to a person’s criminal convictions that have not been pardoned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Police information checks, as explained by the RCMP on their website, are also known as police certificates, background checks, record checks or reference checks. An employer’s local police force must be contacted in order to have this check made. It reports on any suspect records, current convictions, pending charges, discharges, warrants and prohibitions a job candidate may have. These checks use the Police Information Portal.

Vulnerable sector record checks are generally conducted when a job position involves a new hire working with children. The objective of the check is to protect children from any potential harm from a person who shouldn’t be involved with them.  

As described by investigations company, Profile, “the VSS check looks for any pardoned sexual offences. This must be conducted with a local police department, in the city in which the Applicant resides and is no longer available through your third party vendor.”

Are criminal background checks mandatory?

As mentioned, such checks are in the best interests of the employer. It should go without saying that, while not mandatory, criminal background checks are incredibly important parts of the recruitment process. It is an employer’s responsibility to determine which of their candidates should be checked, if not all of them.

According to Feasby, “it is wise to review the criminal record of applicants who are interested in positions in the following sectors: health care, education, finance, HR, information technology, security and research and development. The following industries should also have vulnerable sector checks as a part of their screening process: education, health care, child care and sports team coaches.”

For more information about criminal background checks and whether or not your company should be conducting them during its next hiring process, contact Hire Value Inc. today!