Background Checks Save Money and Make Work Safer for Everyone

Chances are if you've applied for several jobs in the last few years, you've had to sign a consent form in order to give your potential employer the right to conduct a background check on you. Maybe you've wondered why businesses are doing this more often than not now. Well, it's not that HR managers are just nosey. There are many reasons why investigating would-be employees is becoming popular. CheckPoint HR recently released the top reasons their clients are conducting more background checks now then ever before.

The most popular reason is that verifying the accuracy of the information and candidate provides increases the quality of new hires. The reasoning behind this is the fact that over 40 percent of applicants are dishonest on there resumes. According to CheckPoint's recent press release, common fallacies can be anything from accidental inaccuracies such as putting down the wrong dates to applicants lying about skills they don't have or fabricating their education and work experience.

Another reason employers are becoming reliant on background checks to make the final hiring decision is to cut down on theft and violence in the workplace. By finding out a potential employee's criminal history, employers have found that they can often avoid hiring those who have a history of hurting others or stealing from work. This can save money and avoid lawsuits.

Staying out of court also made the list. Many times, offices that neglect to do background checks find themselves accidentally hiring an unsavory character with a violent or negligent past. When these individuals cause harm to another, whether accidentally or on purpose, the company is often held liable. By investigating potential employees, companies have found that they can save themselves a lot of money on legal fees.

Looking into an applicants work history has also been found to reduce turnover and disciplinary problems. Employers often investigate this element of a candidate's resume to avoid hiring individuals who are known to quit soon after getting their first pay check. Since offices lose money every time a new hire resigns within the first six months, retention is a big concern for HR managers.

All of these reasons add up to two underlying reasons, employers who conduct background checks save money in the long run and create a safer office place for other workers.

"By hiring a new employee, you are entrusting them with your company and your clients. Therefore it's your corporate responsibility to ensure a safe work environment and protect your company’s assets," said Michelle Moylan, who is CheckPoint HR's HR specialist.