Blog
October 15, 2024
Learn about the importance of background checks for businesses, how far back they go, and how long the process of conducting the checks takes.
What is Background Screening?
Background screening is the process of due diligence that reviews an individual’s past activities for any issues or concerns. It can include verifying an individual’s identity, qualifications, and history. Individuals can be screened in the course of employment, requirements to work with vulnerable communities, to gain access to sensitive sites or information, and to ensure that individuals meet the requirements of the position they are hired for and pose no risk to an organization or its assets.
How Far Back Do Background Checks Go?
There is no limit to how far back background checks can go. However, there may be limits in access to digital documents or records. In some cases, historic checks may rely on searching paper records when documents have not been digitized. This can affect the cost and length of time to complete the checks.
What Do Background Checks Include?
Background checks can include criminal record checks, judicial matters checks, civil litigation checks, credit checks, employment, education, and qualification verifications, as well as driving and social media checks. Background checks can also include discrete inquiries and reference checks. It is recommended that checks conducted correlate to the risks of the individual being checked. For example, some employment checks pose reputational risks, in those cases, social media checks are recommended to ensure there is no information that could become public that would embarrass or otherwise negatively affect the reputation of the company. Individuals who have financial responsibilities or access funds may require credit checks to verify they are in good financial standing and thus less likely to abuse or misuse their access to funds.
Why Are Background Checks Important Before Hiring?
Background checks mitigate the potential for insider and reputation risk. A company’s employees are their greatest asset and a potential vulnerability. Organizations provide access to commercially sensitive information, finances, a computer network, and other employees. Employees are also representatives of the company and any public issues will be a mark on the organization. It is important to identify potential issues of concern before this privileged access and exposure is provided to mitigate the risk of abuse. Once hired, dealing with rogue or problematic employees can be time-consuming and expensive.
How Long Do Employment Background Checks Take?
Background checks can be conducted in a manner of hours or days depending on the records requested, the jurisdiction of the employee, and the information being screened. Simple checks such as criminal record or credit checks are done electronically with the individual verifying and consenting to the checks online. Paper record checks may take longer as would checks in multiple countries or jurisdictions. Social media and online reputation checks can also be conducted quickly based on the online activities and profile of the individual.
Do background checks require consent?
Some background checks such as criminal record and credit require the consent of the individual being screened. There are other checks such as civil litigation, social media, bankruptcy, and liens that can be conducted without the individual’s consent that may still provide important information on the reliability of the candidate.
Due diligence and employee screening are vital tools for organizations to verify a candidate’s qualifications, character, and financial history, helping to mitigate risks. It allows for informed decision-making by providing critical information that may not be evident from a resume or interview and prevents potential issues with a hire prior to being a part of your organization.
Get in touch with us to learn more about due diligence and background checks for your business.