Are You Screening Your Entire Workforce? Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we explored a few of the reasons why screening your entire workforce is so important...

Here, we dive into a few more key benefits that you can expect when you make pre-employment background checks a standard procedure at your company – for all employees regardless of whether they are temporary, part-time or working on a contract basis.

Keep reading to learn more about why running a pre-employment background check on every employee is such a good idea – and what can happen if you don’t.

Decrease Negligent Hiring Claims

Comprehensive background checks are also necessary to decrease or eliminate negligent hiring claims. Being unaware of an employee’s criminal background makes it more likely you could be hiring someone dangerous who could commit a crime while at work – putting you at risk for a potentially expensive lawsuit. Conducting pre-hire background checks on every employee can help your company limit its liability in case something does go wrong with an employee at a later date. By doing your due diligence, you’ll be able to show your insurers, investors, and customers you did everything you could to screen the employee and prevent the occurrence of a dangerous incident.

Verify Resume Information

Up to 53 percent of all job applications contain inaccurate information, according to the Society of Human Resources Management. And a study by the Wall Street Journal found that 34 percent of all applications contain outright lies about experience, education and the person’s ability to perform essential job functions.

Employment verification checks help you know for sure that every applicant is who they say they are by providing valuable insights into the employee’s past work behavior and level of integrity, as well as whether they were loyal to past employers, had a stable work history and their reasons for leaving previous jobs.

Provide a Safer Environment for Employees and Customers

Did you know that almost 2 million workers per year in the U.S. are affected by some form of workplace violence? No matter which position is being filled within the company, a potentially dangerous person can put the safety of your employees and customers at risk. Investigating each new hire’s background can tell you whether the person has had a violent past. Even if they haven’t been charged with a violent crime before, other arrests or infractions on their record can give you clues as to whether the new hire could have issues with conflict resolution – and become a threat to your company’s safety in the future.

Cost Savings

A pre-employment screening program has been shown to pay for itself many times over. Thorough background checks can have a return on investment as high as 937 percent, according to a report published by HR Management Magazine. And according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, for every dollar an employer invests in employment screening, the return on investment ranges from $5-16. This savings comes from better productivity, less absenteeism, decreased theft, a lower rate of turnover and decreased employer liability.

To learn more about how Foley can help you develop a screening program, give me a call at (860) 815-0780.