Employee Background Checks

Being a small business owner can be one of the toughest jobs in America. Not only does the owner of a small business have to make sure everything gets done, but the owner only gets paid after everyone else gets his or her money. Background checks can seem like a waste of time and money, particularly if the business has never had a problem in the past. Unfortunately, it only takes one bad hire to ruin a small business.

There are four easy steps an employer can take immediately. There is no reason that any small business has to hire blind. With theses simple, quick and inexpensive steps, any small business can protect themselves, their workers and the public from a bad hire. Here are the steps:

Have each job applicant sign a consent form for a background check including a check for criminal records, past employment and education. Announcing that your business checks backgrounds may discourage applicants with something to hide and encourage applicants to be truthful and honest about mistakes they have made in the past.

Ask an applicant both in the interview and in writing (on the consent form or application) if they have any criminal convictions or pending cases. Do a criminal check in at least the county of residence. Small employers may do it themselves or have a professional service do it usually for less than $20.

Verify the applicant's previous employment. Look into any unexplained gaps in employment where the applicant cannot account for their whereabouts. Many employers make the mistake of not bothering to call previous employers because they have learned from experience that previous employers often will not comment on the specifics of a previous employee's job performance. However, not calling previous employers is one of the biggest and costliest mistakes an employer can make. Even if the past employers do not comment on job performance, it is critically important to at least verify employment dates and job title. Just knowing that the person has a solid job history is vital information.

Ask for residence addresses for the past seven years. This information helps an employer establish an applicant's whereabouts and it should match with the employment history. This can go on the applicant's consent form or application.

The information in this article is not given or intended as legal advise. It is based upon generally accepted human resource and industry practices. An employee should check with their attorney to determine how state or local law affects their business and for any legal advise.

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Employee Background Checks