When an employer is looking to hire for a new position, they will usually complete a background check on someone they’re considering. This will allow them to ensure there are no red flags about the person and to verify the information they’ve been provided. While an employer can hire a third party to complete a thorough check, an online check will provide various pieces of information with immediate results. When completing an online check on a potential employee, there are certain steps that should be taken. Here are three things that you should do when completing an online background check as an employer.
Create a Consistent Policy
When looking into the background of candidates, you want to make sure that you’re following all laws. This will allow you to avoid a potentially troubling situation. One way that you can avoid trouble is by creating a consistent policy. If the check you run on certain people includes something you don’t look for in other candidates, it could cause legal issues in your search. For this reason, you should have a policy for anyone in your company looking at a background report. Every report discovered should include the same information to avoid any potential problems.
Receive Legal Advice
If you’re running a background check on someone in your personal life, the restrictions are only for the website. However, there is only certain information that an employer can retrieve and consider about a candidate. Before you run a background check, it’s a good idea to receive legal advice about what information can be gathered and which information can be considered in your state. This will ensure that you don’t violate any hiring laws and avoid any legal trouble that could come from breaking these laws.
Provide an Opportunity for Employees to Explain Any Issues
You’ll receive basic information on someone when you run a background check but this might not be the whole story. There could be extenuating circumstances that caused a piece of information to appear the way it did. Some of the information also might not be entirely correct. If any issues arise on the background report, you should speak with the candidate about what you found. They might have an explanation as to why it came back the way it did. It’s up to the employer whether they want to believe the candidate but providing them the chance to explain will ensure you don’t mistakenly exclude a potentially great employee.
A background check will allow an employer to discover needed information about a candidate. There are certain things employers should do when looking into the background of potential employees. This ensures they receive accurate information and avoid any potential legal trouble. These are three tips to follow when an employer completes an online background check.
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