For an HR manager or business owner, having written rules on pre employment criminal background check as part of the company’s standard operating procedures (SOP) on hiring and recruitment is a vital step towards maintaining safety and security in the workplace as well as avoiding risks of exposure to lawsuits due to negligent hiring. Criminal background checks are also important when screening potential tenants as in the case of rental properties, and volunteers as in the case of non-profit organizations.
At the very least, a company SOP should include the conduct of instant criminal background checks, which can provide basic information about the job applicants with quick turnaround times. The data in the instant check include:
- Social Security Number (SSN) verification,
- National criminal database search, and
- Sex offender registry search.
A basis for a wider, more comprehensive screening
When receiving your instant report, you may find it necessary to dig deeper and thus, you can request a more comprehensive report. Remember, you’re only receiving data provided by a national database and may lack the necessary details for you to make a well-informed decision. For example, if you find a red flag in Utah on an individual’s national criminal history report, you may want to conduct Utah federal criminal background checks to learn about the case in detail. This is typically on a case-to-case basis and will depend on a variety of factors including the type of employment position being offered and the nature of the criminal case, if any. Often, a no-guilty charge can also appear in a person’s criminal history report, and thus, it’s important not to judge a candidate right away based on the results of an instant background check.
Save time and money
An instant criminal background check can help you save time and money by eliminating job applicants who are obviously not qualified for the position being applied for. As an example, registered sex offenders with fresh offences should be disqualified from working in establishments with children, elderly and other sensitive population. To ensure compliance with applicable laws, see the next paragraph.
Work with a legal team
Bear in mind that you should know your employer responsibilities under the law when it comes to performing employee background screening to avoid facing lawsuits due to negligent hiring or violations of applicable background checking laws. While a professional screening company can ensure compliance related to the scope and conduct of background screening under existing legislations, hiring a lawyer or working with your legal department can provide logical advice on how you can use the instant background check reports in relation to denying or accepting a job applicant while ensuring compliance with fair chance hiring laws.
Work with authorities for risk assessment
Sometimes, an instant pre employment criminal background check may reveal that the applicant has a criminal case that doesn’t relate to the job position being applied for and/or it has been at least a decade since the conviction date. If you think that the candidates have the skills and knowledge that best fit your job vacancies, you may want to work with local authorities to help you assess the risk of onboarding such candidates in your company. Take note that negligent hiring practices can lead to toxic work environment.
Do not DIY your criminal background checks
While basic data provided by instant criminal background checks are publicly available from specialized databases online, it is best to partner with a dependable and certified employment background check professionals. Access to some of these databases may not be available for free and it can also be time consuming for you to scour through these databases yourself. A trusted background screening company accredited by an industry-recognized background screening organization has sufficient time, manpower and other resources to provide you with fast, accurate and comprehensive reports; thus, saving you time and money.
SimpliVerified is accredited by the industry-recognized Professional Background Screening Association to deliver accurate and simple screening solutions at quick turnaround times. Get in touch with us to learn about our Utah federal criminal background checks, statewide criminal records search, SSN verifications and other background screening solutions on prospective employees, volunteers and tenants.
