Pre-Employment Screening

Pre-Employment / Background Screening

What is the purpose of running a background check on a prospective employee

The purpose of running a background check on a prospective employee is to verify the information provided on their resume or job application and to identify any potential red flags or risks associated with hiring that individual. This can include verifying employment history, educational qualifications, criminal record, credit history, and professional licenses.

Employers may also use background checks to ensure that the prospective employee is a good fit for the company's culture and values. For example, if the company values integrity and honesty, they may want to ensure that the candidate has a clean criminal record and has not been involved in any fraudulent activities.

Running a background check helps employers make informed decisions about hiring, reduce the risk of workplace incidents or misconduct, and ensure a safe and secure work environment for all employees.

Top 10 List (Actually here are 12)

The specific items included in a background check may vary depending on the employer and the position being filled, but here are ten common items that are often included in a comprehensive background check:

1.??????Criminal history check: This typically includes a search of local, state, and federal criminal records to determine if the candidate has any criminal convictions.

2.??????Civil Litigation check: A simple check of a candidate’s civil court files may reveal things about the candidate that would be otherwise hidden. These may include a history of violence, drinking, gambling, abnormal social behaviour and so on.

3.??????Bankruptcy Check: People choose to declare personal bankruptcy for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes these reasons are understandable and sometimes it a red flag

4.??????Employment history verification: This involves contacting previous employers to verify the candidate's job titles, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving.

5.??????Education verification: This involves verifying the candidate's educational qualifications, such as degrees earned, attendance dates, and any relevant certifications or licenses.

6.??????Reference checks: This involves contacting the candidate's professional and personal references to obtain feedback on their character, work ethic, and other relevant qualities.

7.??????Social Security Number (SSN) verification: This verifies that the SSN provided by the candidate is valid and matches their name.

8.??????Credit check: This involves reviewing the candidate's credit history and financial records to evaluate their financial responsibility and potential risk of theft or fraud.

9.??????Driving record check: This involves verifying the candidate's driving history to evaluate their safety record and any potential risks associated with the position.

10.??Professional license verification: This involves verifying any professional licenses or certifications held by the candidate.

11.??Drug testing: This involves screening the candidate for illegal substances or controlled substances, as required by law or company policy.

12.??Social media screening: This involves reviewing the candidate's social media profiles to evaluate their behaviour, character, and overall suitability for the position.

Background Check Failures:

Here are some hypothetical examples of what can happen if an employer fails to conduct a background check on a potential employee and that employee subsequently commits a crime against the employer:

• A retail store hires an employee without conducting a criminal background check. The employee steals money from the cash register on multiple occasions, causing significant financial losses to the store.
• A day-care center hires an employee without conducting a thorough reference check. The employee turns out to have a history of child abuse and molests a child in the day-care center.
• A company hires an employee without verifying their educational credentials. The employee is later found to have lied about their education and is unable to perform their job competently, causing significant losses to the company.
• A security firm hires an employee without conducting a thorough criminal history check. The employee turns out to have a history of violence and assaults a client of the firm.
• A healthcare facility hires an employee without conducting a drug test. The employee turns out to be addicted to drugs and steals prescription medication from the facility, causing harm to patients and legal issues for the facility.

What do candidates typically lie about when applying for a new position

Candidates may lie or exaggerate certain aspects of their qualifications, experience, and personal information when applying for a new position. Here are some of the things that candidates are known to lie about the most:

1.??????Educational qualifications: Candidates may lie about having a degree, claiming to have graduated from a prestigious university or earned a degree in a specific field that they did not actually earn.

2.??????Employment history: Candidates may lie about their job titles, responsibilities, dates of employment, or reasons for leaving a previous job to make their work experience appear more impressive or relevant to the position they are applying for.

3.??????Skills and abilities: Candidates may exaggerate or embellish their skills and abilities, such as claiming to be proficient in a particular software program or language when they only have basic knowledge.

4.??????Salary history: Candidates may inflate their previous salaries to negotiate a higher salary for the new position.

5.??????Criminal record: Candidates may hide or lie about their criminal record, either by omitting information or providing false information about their criminal history.

6.??????Language proficiency: Candidates may overstate their proficiency in a foreign language, either by claiming to be fluent when they are not or exaggerating their level of proficiency.

7.??????Reasons for leaving a previous job: Candidates may provide false reasons for leaving a previous job, such as claiming that they were laid off due to budget cuts when they were actually fired for performance issues.

8.??????Volunteer work or extracurricular activities: Candidates may exaggerate their involvement in volunteer work or extracurricular activities to make themselves appear more well-rounded or community minded.

9.??????Job references: Candidates may provide fake references or ask friends or family members to pose as former employers or colleagues to vouch for their skills and experience.

10.??Professional achievements: Candidates may embellish their professional achievements, such as claiming to have won awards or received recognition for their work that they did not actually receive.

Again, it is important for employers to conduct a thorough background check and reference check to verify the information provided by candidates and ensure that they are making informed hiring decisions.

Want to know more, get in contact with us at Aegis Interaktif Asia at www.aegisinteraktifasia.com or email us at [email protected]