A survey by a Connecticut-based strategic planning consulting firm found that more big companies are using outside services for criminal background checks and pre-employment credit checks than ever before. The firm surveyed companies in Connecticut and New York about their recruiting practices. Here’s what they found.
Of the 73 organizations in Fairfield County and the metropolitan New York area that participated, more than 65 percent use an outside source to conduct formal background checks.
My take is that this is part of a big and important trend. More and more businesses are realizing how important it is to hire people who can do the job, work well with others, fit in with the culture and not embarrass the company later.
It used to be that we could hire people from a pool where someone we knew also knew an applicant. We could ask a trusted source whether the prospective new hire had good character and a good work ethic.
Those days are gone. Now we hire from all over. Resumes and applications come in over the net from people we may never see until it’s time for the interview.
Checking references has changed, too. It used to be that we could call up a prior employer or college professor and ask about an applicant. In the old days, they’d tell us what they thought.
Those days are gone. Today most companies will verify the dates of employment and very little else. They’re afraid of lawsuits.
So, like those companies the consulting firm surveyed, more of us are using background checks from reliable firms to help us. We check for a criminal history. We use a pre-employment credit check to look for problems. It’s not like the old days, but it’s a best practice today.