If you're filling positions and find the perfect set of skills, do you really care about a person's history? In some cases, as long as the worker shows up on time and gets the work done, nothing else matters. For some tasks and environments, you need to be careful about the tendencies and capabilities of some employees just to protect yourself, your customers, and your business image. If you've been looking through criminal record background search options and don't know where to start, weigh your business risks and needs by considering a few background check points.
Crime, Culture, And Business Need
Some criminal histories don't mesh well with the business. Theft is almost always a concern, whether you have positions that handle cash, easily moved equipment and products, or entering customer homes and businesses. Violence can be a concern whether it's just you and a few employees or the public at large, but some situations may be more humanizing and unrelated to your business upon further inspection.
A criminal record needs to show not only that a situation took place, but some details about the charge. Not all background checks perform accurate and helpful information, as some criminal charges come with short descriptions that don't tell you much.
Assault is one example. That could mean a fight at a party, a fight where self defense couldn't be proven by either party, or a bullying problem that has no place in your business. You need to ask the employee about the situation to get their side of the story and to see if they can explain the results, but you need the accurate results in hand. Your business culture may be fine with a few tough people who won't take an insult lying down, but businesses involving children or people with illnesses may need more careful selection.
Before paying for a criminal background check service, talk about such summaries. Ask how much information is typically available, and be sure to bring up a customer service request if there's nothing but brief labels or acronyms. It shouldn't be your job to dig for an incident report.
Drug Screening And Medical Clearance
Although it falls to political debate often, some drug charges aren't a big deal to some companies. Marijuana, for example, is considered by some to be a recreational drug that shouldn't be illegal and should be forgiven as a crime. Some consider it a terrible substance to deal with at all, while others simple question a person's ability to follow rules considering the laws currently in place in an employee's state.
A criminal background check needs more details than just a drug defense. In addition to needing deeper details, there should be a way for you to get toxicology reports to question the employee a bit deeper, but some information may be protected as private medical information.
Ask potential background check professionals about their drug screening and medical reporting policies. Find someone who can get an accurate set of information to figure out if substance abuse is a risk, just to see if it's something your business can work with.
Contact an employee criminal record check professional to check information on your potential employees that goes beyond a few basic labels.
Share
