Tag: online background checks

Top 5 Red Flags Found in Online Employee Background Checks The primary purpose of running a background check on a new hire is to protect your company assets, current employees, and customers. Therefore, confirming that someone is who they say they are and that they have the claimed qualifications is a vital step in the hiring process. Reviewing an individual's personal, criminal, credit, and educational references is a critical part of the decision-making process for any manager. So, how do you determine what signals potential trouble if you bring this new team member onboard? Here are the top red flags in a criminal background check and what to do if you find any. Online Employee Background Check Red Flags You Should Not Ignore Comprehensive background checks for new hires are crucial to avoid unnecessary risks. Such risks can have dire impacts on your budget and training investment, possibly leading to lawsuits or harm to other employees. Unfortunately, these scenarios are more common than you might want to believe, so you must thoroughly vet your candidates before sending that offer letter. Watch out for some of these red flags on a potential hire's background screening: Refusal to Allow a Background Check Before running a background history on a prospective employee, federal employment law requires you to get their permission first. Though unusual, job seekers can legally refuse your request. Refusal is often a red flag that you should seriously consider. Should this happen, share your concerns regarding the importance of their history to the position. If the refusal is innocent, the explanation may soothe their anxiety and open an opportunity for them to explain their hesitation. However, a candidate adamantly refusing to undergo a background check is a major red flag. This unwillingness could indicate the candidate is attempting to hide something in their background. Regardless of why they refused, the refusal itself is reason enough to be wary of whether the candidate is a good fit for the company. You want reliable employees who will get the job done, and anyone attempting to hide their background may be hiding information that proves their incompatibility. If your candidate refuses to allow the background check, you can freely remove them from further consideration. In cases like this, it is generally best to cut your losses and move on to avoid wasting additional time. They Falsified Their Qualifications Lying about qualifications on a resume is one of the top red flags employers encounter when searching for a new team member. Therefore, your candidate's education and licensing references should always get priority when screening their qualifications. A business counts on its employees to be who they say they are, and those who falsify this information can jeopardize your company's reputation and legal protections. Candidates lying on their resumes regarding qualifications is serious. Resumes play a crucial role throughout the hiring process, first in determining if a candidate meets the necessary qualifications for a position and, secondly, in deciding which candidates are most worthy of moving onto the next stage of the hiring process. Unfortunately, resume dishonesty has become a significant issue in the hiring process. According to a survey from the global employment website, Monster, 85% of recruiters agree that candidates exaggerate their skills and competencies on their resumes. This exaggeration is why verifying the resumes' claims is a critical step in the hiring process. Though employers may consider candidates performing some inflation of their skills and experience to be nothing more than casting their qualifications in the best light, some resume lies are red flags. These include falsifications about: Educational History: Candidates often inflate their academic history. This inflation may be as mild as claiming a higher GPA than they earned, or as severe as claiming they attended educational institutions and falsifying what degrees they "earned." Professional Licensure: This may be the most severe red flag of these falsifications. Many positions require professional licensures, such as lawyers, security guards, teachers, and more. It may be a civil or criminal violation for an unlicensed individual to hold these positions. To qualify for these positions, candidates may claim to have a non-existent professional license or misrepresent a suspended or expired license. These violations hold significant risks of hiring an unqualified or less qualified candidate to hold the position. In addition, the infringements could damage your company's reputation and lead to civil or legal liability if the candidate's actions ever harmed people or property. However, not least among the reasons that falsified qualifications are a red flag is what it reveals about a candidate's character. Falsifying qualifications is a red flag, but it also shows the candidate's personality. Deception of this caliber speaks volumes about the candidate's professional qualifications and whether the individual is a good fit for the environment. This dishonesty alone may be reason enough to move on to another candidate. Dishonesty About Previous Job Roles Perhaps even more so than for professional qualifications, it is not uncommon for candidates to embellish their previous job duties on their resume. Adding a little shine to achievements or work experience isn't unusual, but purposely misleading you about prior positions is a problem. Some common and severe embellishments that may come up in an employment verification background check may include: Dates of Employment: Often, gaps in employment are a red flag that can reveal significant issues in employability. This belief leads job seekers to falsify their employment dates to cover up gaps in their employment history. Job Titles: In some cases, job seekers will try to inflate their employment history by reporting a different job title that sounds more relevant to the position at hand or simply a higher level in the hopes of standing out. Skills and Responsibilities: Another way candidates may inflate their work history is by exaggerating their prior job responsibilities. This exaggeration makes them more relevant or impressive, lying about their professional skills to match the position more closely. Reasons for Leaving Prior Employers: In some cases, a candidate may misrepresent the reasons for their separation from previous jobs. They may want to hide being fired for cause, such as failure to perform their job duties, harassment, or other reasons that may reveal serious issues. If you find inconsistencies or discover outright misinformation regarding previously worked job roles, clarify these instances immediately. Either the candidate may not be qualified for your open position, or it may shed new light on their character. Gaps in Employment History Keep an open mind when finding employment gaps through online employee background checks. Though this is a flag, it doesn't have to be red when considering the state of the job market and other cues. For example, the job market has also been difficult, even after the Great Recession ended in 2009, and many workers endured multiple periods of unemployment. Other reasons for these gaps include: Raising children at home Taking care of a sick loved one or being ill themselves Pursuing further education Gaps in employment are relatively common. However, if your candidate doesn't have a reasonable explanation, this could signal underlying employment issues they regularly suffer. Also, if employment gaps repeatedly appear in a candidate's employment history, you might want to find out the cause. For example, frequent employment gaps might mean the applicant is not a reliable worker, has difficulty working with others, or has other issues that make it difficult for them to retain a job. Whether the cause is difficulty with transportation or they did not include jobs lost because of firing, it's crucial to communicate the need for transparency with them. They Have a Criminal History After sending a job offer to a candidate, finding criminal history on a background check is a significant warning sign you should take seriously. Neglecting to inform you of a substantial criminal record, especially in severe cases, is cause for concern. However, omitting this information from their interview shouldn't immediately disqualify candidates. There are many reasons job seekers aren't forthcoming about their legal issues, including: Embarrassment Worried about disqualification for the job role Want a chance to prove their trustworthiness and reliability Have faced discrimination in past interviews Many offenses, such as speeding tickets, are not a cause for worry. However, fraud, theft, or violence-related crimes require serious evaluation before proceeding with your hiring plans. Considering how the applicant's criminal history could affect the job they are applying for is necessary. For example, someone convicted of embezzling money should not work as a bank manager. There are, however, rare cases where applicants may still qualify for a position despite having a related criminal record. If the candidate has lied about their criminal record, it might be best to disqualify them from consideration. In addition, if the candidate is not honest during the hiring process, it could be hard to trust them later. If your company fails to perform a background check and the employee commits a crime during employment, your company may face legal repercussions. You'll also want to ensure you keep all employees and customers safe. Legal Considerations Employers have the right to conduct background checks and, in many cases, re-evaluate their decision to hire an applicant based on it. However, there are legal considerations employers should remember during this process, such as ensuring they comply with all federal, state, and local laws during the hiring process. EEOC The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulates some parts of the hiring process. For example, the EEOC helps to ensure fair and equal treatment among all candidates. The EEOC stresses that employers must avoid policies that unfairly affect minorities or protected classes. Therefore, employers deciding whether to take adverse action based on a background check must ensure they focus only on the pertinent information. Additionally, having a consistent policy for conducting background searches is essential. For example, conducting background checks based on protected characteristics is not legal. Also, employers should not dismiss all applicants with a criminal history. This judgment has a disparate effect on minorities, as a minority candidate is statistically more likely to have a criminal record than a white candidate. Instead, deciding whether to hire an applicant with a criminal record should be a case-by-case process. If employers do not ensure their policies treat all applicants or employees equally, they risk costly lawsuits. FCRA In addition to the EEOC regulations, employers must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), especially when conducting background screenings on applicants or employees. The FCRA requires employers to notify candidates of their intent to perform background checks, obtain permission to do so, and inform candidates of disqualification based on the information obtained during the investigation. Use an Online Background Check Service to Find Red Flags Utilizing services from background check services like Pre-employ is a reliable means to ensure the chosen candidate is suitable for your company. Our organization saves you valuable time and money when vetting candidates. Our accredited investigation methods show how in-depth criminal history reports help protect your assets from potentially dangerous hiring situations. With an intuitive, online interface at your fingertips, your business gets the information it needs to quickly verify new and existing employees' information.

Tag: online background checks

Top 5 Red Flags Found in Online Employee Background Checks

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