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Feb

27

No background check is perfect

Filed Under Criminal checks, Background checks |  by Scott Cannon

According to a headline in the Waco Tribune, “Bus driver charged with assault aced background check”. In the story, the claim is even stronger. “Hillsboro schools Superintendent Jerry Maze said the 64-year-old school bus driver accused of propositioning a 14-year-old student for sex passed the school’s ‘very comprehensive’ background checks.’”

There are people out there who will trot out stories like this one to prove that background checks are a waste of time and money because they don’t actually catch any bad guys. Those people are wrong.

The first thing to agree on is what everyone means by “background check.” The schools Superintendent refers to “very comprehensive background checks” but doesn’t describe them.

If you’re hiring, a background check ought to include verification of credentials, reference checks, a pre-employment credit check and a national criminal background check.

Let applicants know up front that you do these checks and you’ll find that some choose to go no farther. That’s usually because they know that a background check will reveal things they’d rather you didn’t know. Just having background checks as part of your process has a deterrent effect.

It’s important to do a national criminal background check, too. People move a lot these days. A check of local records won’t tell you about a criminal past that occurred in another state.

Even so, people will slip through the cracks. A criminal background check only shows convictions. It won’t tell you about times a person was charged with a crime but not convicted. And no background check can spot a back actor who hasn’t got a record yet.

Your background checks are part of a comprehensive review of an applicant’s suitability for a position at your company. That process can help you keep dishonest and dangerous people out of your workplace and help protect you from negligent hiring lawsuits. That’s why they’re worth it.

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