Reference background check vital to MGA's

Some people march to a different beat and whether we like it or not, failure is a necessary stepping stone to building our dreams. You’ve got to experience failure to understand that you can survive it. But some people are beyond saving and the following two examples are why companies should undertake some background discrete checking.

I am not averse to quoting an actor when the need arises so quoting from Kevin Bacon

“Part of being a man is learning to take responsibility for your successes and for your failures. You can’t go blaming others or being jealous. Seeing somebody else’s success as your failure is a cancerous way to live.” However there are those who do not seem to learn from their errors and continue to cause havoc to those around them

There is no detailed legislation specifically designed to deal with the provision of references to employees in all occupations. It is increasingly common for employers to have a policy of providing a bare minimum reference.

One day not so long ago an accident arose at a station in Surrey on a relatively quiet Sunday morning when the station staff member waved his flag indicating all was clear to the signal box. However, he was talking on his mobile phone at the time and covering for the regular signalman who was late. The result being a train jumped the track and caused delays inconveniencing many.

The employee who had in previous work lives been a nurse, an aircraft wing mover (Such a role existed), a tea taster had secured various roles prior to the age of 30 through the limited use of references that did not specify why he had been let go.

Worse was to come in my experience when the use of temporary staff in a former role the management team in a large Public body hired a formed Petty officer from the Navy. He was tasked to scan paper files and then ensure destruction of the files. He did that task most effectively. However, he scanned the wrong side of the paper files and hundreds of claims were destroyed. Due to the procedures applied we were not allowed to provide full and descriptive references and he went onto the Passport office. You may recall the passport disaster and the long delays. I can only hazard a guess as to one of the causes.

Whilst today references are necessary if they are brief. When they are brief asking the market and doing background checks are becoming even more important.