What’s in a Resume? Why You Need to Screen Every New Hire

Jeff Jones

Your company’s reputation is dependent on many factors, not the least of which is your workforce and the conduct of individual employees. To help mitigate corporate risk exposure and protect your brand, professional employment screening is a must.

According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), about 73 percent of employers conduct criminal background checks on their workforce. And while some companies are more vulnerable to the risks associated with negligent hiring—for example, those who send employees into other businesses or private homes—the benefits of background checks for all companies far outweigh the costs.

Employees Verification

The Process

A comprehensive employment screening program will ensure that candidates have the skills, experience and personality traits required to fit within your organization. A typical screening may include a factual background check, including I-9 verification to confirm work eligibility, as well as drug and skill assessment testing. The goal is to identify the candidates who lack the necessary skills and experiences needed for the position, and also those whose work status or criminal background might make them a high-risk hire. In addition, the tests may identify candidates who have shown poor judgment or lack of responsibility in the past, which is often a fair predictor of future conduct.

The Payoff

A bad hire can do more than tarnish your company’s image. It can put your employees, customers, and the public at risk. By hiring a candidate without verifying their credentials, at the very least you risk hiring someone who can’t do the job. There is also a possibility that your company will suffer setbacks in productivity, additional training costs, and may even be forced to start the hiring process over again. A comprehensive screening process can identify discrepancies, such as when the responsibilities listed on a resume don’t match a candidate’s current salary, and much, much more.

Get With The Program

There are enough proprietary resources, public records, verification processes and testing services available for any employer to screen candidates on their own. But no company, even one with an in-house designee, should attempt to implement a nationwide program alone. With varying state and federal employment laws and candidates with records in multiple jurisdictions, compliance can become too much to handle.

The best way to mitigate corporate risk exposure and protect your company’s integrity is to work with a reputable employment screening agency. By outsourcing your screening program to professionals, you’ll gain the peace of mind that comes with making informed hiring decisions every time.

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