| These days, most people in employment decision | | | | many government records, criminal record check |
| making positions take pre-employment screening | | | | is not time consuming either. You simply have no |
| seriously. They have good reason to. A number | | | | reason, expect maybe laziness or ignorance, not |
| of unfortunate incidences in the recent past have | | | | to conduct a proper criminal record check on |
| shown us the type and extent of harm employing | | | | potential employees. |
| people without screening them can have on | | | | The second pre-employment screening element |
| organizations. From employee-orchestrated theft | | | | that you simply cannot afford to get wrong is the |
| incidences, to work place violence and onto | | | | past employment record check. Here you would |
| unearthed cases of competitor espionage using | | | | be checking who the potential employee's past |
| employees as 'moles,' the kinds of nightmares | | | | employers were, why the potential employee left |
| proper pre-employment screening can save an | | | | those past employers and on what terms they |
| organization are not things one can take lightly. | | | | parted. Here, it is best to conduct an independent |
| But while many of us see the benefits of | | | | check, rather than just relying on what the |
| pre-employment screening, the one thing that | | | | employee says. Don't expect anyone to have a |
| tends to bother us about it is the sheer cost and | | | | perfect past in this regard, though: just have |
| effort that often has to be expended on the | | | | benchmarks and thresholds you won't go below in |
| exercise. And it is due to this that many | | | | terms of 'forgiving' negative histories. You may, |
| employment decision makers decide to at least | | | | for instance, take on an employee who seems to |
| omit some elements of the screening process | | | | have been fired on account of unsubstantiated |
| that they feel to be unnecessary in certain | | | | 'rudeness' but it would be crazy to take on |
| situations. | | | | someone who was clearly let go on account of |
| Now in an ideal situation, pre-employment | | | | workplace violence, sabotage or theft. |
| screening should be made as comprehensive as | | | | The third pre-employment screening element that |
| possible. But there is no denying that there are | | | | you simply cannot afford to get wrong is the |
| situations when some elements have to be done | | | | credit history check. This gives you insight into the |
| away with. Yet when all is said and done, there | | | | employee's personal finance management. You |
| are some elements of pre-employment screening | | | | may ask what your interest in this is would be, |
| that - the cost of doing them notwithstanding - | | | | especially for an employee who won't be involved |
| you can't afford to ignore or do the haphazardly; | | | | in financial management. The answer is that how |
| if the whole pre-employment screening exercise is | | | | well a person manages their finances is usually a |
| to be meaningful. | | | | good indicator of how well they are in control of |
| The first of those pre-employment screening | | | | their lives, which is in turn a good indicator of how |
| elements that you simply cannot afford to get | | | | well performing they would be as employees in |
| wrong is the criminal record check. If you don't | | | | the future. This is important, because you cannot |
| handle this properly, then you will have rendered | | | | ask a person, point blank, how well in control of |
| the whole pre-employment screening process | | | | their lives they are: you have to rely on these |
| meaningless. It is through this element that you | | | | kinds of checks to give you a glimpse. In potential |
| can discover potential employees with criminal | | | | managers, and especially financial managers, this |
| tendencies and avoid the headache that is having | | | | kind of check becomes mandatory. Of course, |
| them on your staff. Contrary to what many of | | | | since it is not loans you are giving, you can't |
| us equate it to, criminal record check does not | | | | afford to be too strict here. The credit check |
| equal to a check (and elimination) of potential | | | | results have to be looked at against other |
| employees with past convictions. Rather, what | | | | elements of the pre employment screening. You |
| one should be on the lookout here is criminal | | | | will not be looking at the credit score as a |
| tendencies, without any prejudice to any potential | | | | number, per se, but rather looking out for |
| employee- but rather with careful considerations | | | | something that strongly suggests major financial |
| of the individual cases. Contrary to what many of | | | | irresponsibility which would set the alarm bells |
| us imagine, a criminal record check is not very | | | | ringing. |
| expensive. Moreover, with the computerization of | | | | |