An employee background check reviews an employee’s commercial, criminal, financial, and employment records. Background checks provide employers with principal information about the potential candidates from documents and other sources.
A background check service helps perform a background check that determines whether or not a candidate is eligible and qualified for a position. A background check usually involves contacting former employers, co-workers, etc., to verify previous employment and confirm their authenticity.
The Purpose of Background Check
An employee background check is often the final step of the onboarding process. A background check ensures that the details provided by the candidate are valid and protect the employers from several potential risks.
Employers need to check whether the information provided by the candidate is truthful or not. Web searches reveal multiple employment fraud cases and demonstrate the need for background checks. The most significant ones are the background checks for criminal activity, employment, education, identity verification, etc.
Background Check Process
Before beginning the salary negotiation, we advise you to prepare the strategies that we can use for a mutually acceptable agreement. The first thing in the background check process is to notify the employee or candidate and get their written authorization.
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Under certain circumstances, where the employer conducts the inquiries independently, they do not legally require consent from the employee. For instance, the employers do not need the approval to call the former employer. The only case of notification happens when they use third-party employment companies.
Employers must also give the adverse action notice stating the reason for not hiring and informing about the contact information for the employment screening company used. It also includes information on the employee’s right to argue on the report.
What does a Background Check Include
The company cannot disclose this information under any circumstance. It includes criminal records, identity proof, employment history, drug tests, educational details, etc.
Criminal Records
Every company ensures that its employees are free of legal obligations and criminal records. The offer letters given by different companies have a clause stating that the candidate is not proven guilty of any criminal offense. Generally, every organization prefers a clean criminal record or history for all the positions.
Identity Proof
It is one of the most critical aspects of the background check to validate the authenticity of an individual as a recognized citizen of the country. An identity proof verifies that an employee has a valid ID and that their name is assigned to that ID number. We can verify the evidence from various sources depending on the ID’s country. Some organizations may ask driver’s license, while others may require a valid passport.
Educational Credentials
A background check also involves verifying the educational details of an employee. The employer may contact the educational institutions to verify the course of study, degrees, awards, and professional licenses. Nowadays, organizations demand the degree, transcripts, and certificates of the qualified course to validate the information provided by the employee.
Drug Testing
Some organizations may ask their employees to complete a drug test before employing them. An employee may have to go to the collection site and provide a sample as the collector requires. It depends on the employer to determine the type of test to be performed. It may happen that certain countries may not hold a person accountable for a particular kind of drug while others may not allow it. Employees can also make queries on drug policies.
Employment History
Employers may contact the previous employers of the potential candidate for verification after they consent to do so. Employers may verify information such as dates and positions of joining. Employers may also contact the references given by the candidates. Employees can also keep informed on the bank account details ready for verification.
Motor Vehicle Records
If an employee’s role includes driving, the employer may check their motor vehicle record. Motor vehicle records are necessary for employers to give work vehicles to employees. It is better to keep the employers informed of speeding tickets or driving-related crimes.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Things included in the background check are:
Criminal record
Identity proof
Educational credentials
Motor vehicle records
Employer history
Drug testing
According to the type of background check, it may take up to 2-4 business days to complete the entire procedure.
If the background check fails, a company may refrain from releasing the offer letter to the candidate. If a candidate fails the background check but does not hold any criminal record, a company may follow its HR guidelines and policies.
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