When job candidates fill out an application or provide a resume, you can safely assume most won’t offer details about criminal convictions in their past. Sadly, many employers either don’t have the time, resources, or inclination to conduct employment background checks. So, the omissions go unnoticed. If you hire an employee who has a criminal record, your company may be vulnerable to theft, fraud, property damage, employee injury and negligent hiring lawsuits. In this article, you’ll learn the reasons why you need to check whether your prospective employees have a criminal record.
Reasons To Check For A Criminal Record
There are several reasons why checking whether an applicant has a criminal record is important. Of course, some people who have been convicted of crimes have moved on with their lives and can be dependable workers. That being said, evidence suggests that those who have a criminal record are often problematic employees. Here are a few reasons why doing an employment background check for past convictions is critical…
Violence In The Workplace – Each year, thousands of employees are on the receiving end of violent actions by other workers. While these actions can sometimes be unforeseen, a background check will often reveal past occurrences.
Sensitive Positions – Often, the job for which an employer needs to hire someone can involve sensitive circumstances. For example, a hospital needs to use extreme care in conducting employment background checks on its personnel. Day care facilities and nursing homes also need to have rigorous employee screening procedures in place.
Employers’ Obligation – Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their staff. By hiring someone with a criminal record, they could be exposing their staff to an unnecessary risk.
Negligent Hiring Lawsuits – Each of the items above can potentially lead to an employer being sued for negligent hiring practices. For example, assume a hiring manager neglects to check the background of a new hire. As a result, he fails to discover the applicant has a criminal record with a history of violence. The employer can be held liable if the new hire violently hurts another employee.
Employee Screening To Check For A Criminal Record
Job applicants are unlikely to offer information about their criminal history. After all, many employers fail to do background checks on them. So, they often get away with suppressing the details. Once they’re hired, there’s always a possibility that they’ll act in a manner that puts your company and your staff at risk.
Part of your employee screening process should include investigating job candidates to check whether they have a criminal record. While most candidates won’t, a few will. Because there’s such a strong correlation between employees who have been convicted of a crime and criminal activities in the workplace, you should conduct an extensive background check on each applicant. If the work involved requires more resources than your business has available, consider hiring a dependable service that specializes in employee screening procedures.
