There are many benefits to using an employee background check before hiring someone. It is highly recommended that human resource professionals add a background check to the hiring process in order to protect the company from potential liability and to ensure the potential employee was truthful in the data that was given during the application and interview process. It is also a necessary component to the hiring process for high profile job positions to ensure the potential employee has no skeletons in the closet that might come out and embarrass the company.

There are various pieces of information that can be included in an employee background check. Not all employers will check all of them and the ones checked need to be determined based on how much risk the company may have. The higher the security level and the profile of the position in question, the more stringent the employee background check should be.

The previous employment history should always be checked when considering a potential employee. This is to be sure the candidate did not lie or exaggerate duties on the application or resume. It is also to verify the claims the candidate stated to ensure the candidate is qualifies for the position. This reduces liability because if there is a negligent hiring lawsuit, the company can prove they did due diligence in hiring the individual.

If a job position entails driving for any type of business related activity, a driving record may be pulled. This is not standard practice unless the employee is required to use a company vehicle or drive regularly as part of their job description. Character references are a common request from employers doing an employee background check. This is to discern if the applicant is a trustworthy, reliable individual from people who have known the applicant for some time.

Many employers nowadays are even looking into credit histories of applicants. The reason for this is to discover their credit worthiness. This serves two purposes: First, someone with poor credit may not be a responsibly person especially when it comes to fiscal matters. This can be very important information especially if dealing with a job position that requires fiscal responsibility on the job. If the applicant can not handle their own personal finances, how can they be expected to wisely handle the corporation’s? Also, it may also prove to be a risk assessment. If the employee is in financial difficulty it may increase the risk of theft or it may indicate a possible level of stress that may translate into poor work performance.

Criminal checks are frequently used in an employee background check as well as drug tests. The criminal checks are used to verify the potential employee’s standing. If someone has a criminal record, depending on what it is, they may either be an employment risk or they may be ineligible for particular high profile positions. Drug tests are used to determine the quality of the job performance. If an employee is a drug user, they may use drugs on the job putting the company at risk for liability or they may be suffering from the after effects of previous drug use which will impair their performance.

Most times an employee background check is orchestrated by the human resources department of a company. This does not necessarily mean the internal staff always do the actual employee background check but they may, depending on the extent of the information being requested. Many of the items of information requested are public record and be found using data searches on the Internet or subscribing to public data websites. There is also some legwork involved in an employee background check surrounding previous employment and references. This is usually conducted by telephone.

Aside from internal staff, there are agencies that specialize in this type of work. Depending on the volume, a company may hire an outside agency to conduct all their employee background checks. The fee for this can be a monthly flat fee regardless of the quantity of checks or it can be on a per occurrence basis.

Employers who are hiring for various job positions should at the minimum make inquiries into the applicant’s employment history. A background check is an important part of the hiring process. Depending on the type of position, there are various pieces of information that can be checked to ensure you are hiring a solid, reliable, responsible individual.