Tara Muck wrote a fine article for the Northwest Arkansas Morning News about the changing nature of the job search. The title is “Who Are You?” Here’s a clip.
Background checks are becoming a staple of the hiring process conducted by companies big and small. The importance boils down to risk management — stopping a potential problem before it starts.
This is the sort of article that job seekers will be reading, so it makes sense for you to read it as well. Here are a few highlights.
Muck points out that
Depending on the job and the company, background checks could include criminal, credit history, references, resumes and degrees. If there’s something someone is trying to hide, it’s likely to be found if the potential employer wants to find it.
Think of that as a checklist. Which ones are you doing? Which should you be doing?
The article describes how several types of businesses hire and what they look for. Beyond what we’ve already mentioned, there are drug tests and physical requirements for some jobs. What about you? Are your standards up to date?
The article doesn’t say much about Internet checking, such as using Google or social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. But you should have those tools in your hiring toolbox as well.
The process of hiring and reference and background checks has changed a lot in the last few years. This is a good time to review your hiring process and the way you evaluate applicants.