Before offering a job to a candidate, companies go through several checking processes. Doing a background check is the most common thing that an employer often performs to avoid any risk in the future. The overall checking process is a bit lengthy but it will help the company to hire a reliable employee.

What is a background check?

You can call the background check a normal screening process that involves verifying the identity of an applicant. Companies often perform this check before hiring candidates— so they will not become a liability to that organization. It usually performs by third-party companies or police departments.

Background checks come with the information of employees. That includes the factors like employment history and criminal and educational records. It is common practice for employers that they are allowed to do this before selecting any candidate for a specific position.

When do they do a background check for employment?

Employers often conduct background checks before they want to extend the job offer. There is a short duration between the job offer and the background checks. The results may vary based on the data found, and the company can hire a different applicant.

However, some background checks are also done after extending the job offer. Sometimes, during a probationary period, an employer may allow the candidate to start working while they wait for results.

The background checks need written consent. And for that, you must send notice to the applicant before starting the whole thing. Moreover, the whole process is lengthy and requires two or three interviews before you set to hire someone for your company.

How long will it take to complete the background checks?

It usually takes two to three business days to complete the whole process. It involves exploring the complete data of an applicant and then sending it to the employer. The Background checking department contacts previous employers and universities to collect the data.

Moreover, it involves searching government data and criminal records from the respective departments. Although, it will take additional time as the hiring team reviews the result thoroughly before making a final decision.

It is normal to delay the process, especially when the search department finds an issue during the background checks. Or some internal difficulties may also take place. Sometimes, background checks also come with missing or wrong reports. So, always hire an authentic background-checking company to complete the process accurately.

What do employers need to perform in a background check?

You can perform different types of verification before employing a trustworthy applicant. So, take a look at those details that you can do in the below section.

Employment history: It involves checking all the details related to the last jobs of the candidate. Such as analyzing the work performance, job title, description, and salary.

Educational verification: It helps to reveal the candidate’s degree, subjects taken, and year of passing. That ultimately determines the genuineness of the applicant about what they claimed.

Criminal history: It is essential to check criminal records to maintain a healthy working environment. You must verify whether the job seeker has any criminal records or not in the past.

Credit history: This check will determine whether the employee is financially responsible or not. It is crucial to perform this verification. Especially when you offer a position where the employee needs to access the company’s funds daily.

Social media search: You can also perform the social media check for the employee to check the basic details of his/ her personal life. And it also helps to understand if the candidate will be a good fit or not for your company.

Drug screening: It will reveal whether the applicant is a drug addict or not. But for that, you need to ask for permission from the applicant to perform this test.

Conclusion

A background check may take time, but every company needs to perform this step. Anything doubtful data found in the applicant’s background check can help you avoid getting involved in the legal issue in the future. Although, you should not verify any data more than ten years old. Sometimes, specialized verification is also necessary, depending on what type of industry you run.

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