Background checks should not be regarded as intrusive, but rather as a safety net.
Background checks come in all shapes and sizes and can be customized to fit your company’s needs. Although a person’s history may not reflect his future, it does paint a picture of what the individual values. A person’s criminal, financial and educational background can determine how the person will adapt to his new position and fit into the work culture. It is important to consider how a person will contribute to the work culture and how his actions will affect his co-workers. Background checks should not be regarded as intrusive, but rather as a safety net. These reports can help employers avoid uncomfortable situations by helping them hire the candidate whose background best reflects what they are seeking in an employee.
Resumes do not tell employers enough about an individual.
Assessments are another form of screening that can eliminate those candidates not suited for the available position. Each individual possesses a set of natural behaviors that affects how and what she values. Skills are learned assets that affect a person’s natural behaviors. For example, if a person is naturally conversational, she may have to learn to keep her social nature in check in order to be productive. Assessments can quantify this information so that employers are aware of what each candidate can bring to the company.
Pre-hire assessments measure an individual’s basic work-related values. They are used early in the candidate selection process and provide insight into an applicant’s work ethic, reliability, integrity, propensity for substance abuse and attitudes toward theft. These are important values that are rarely reflected accurately in resumes. Despite an applicant’s long list of internships or previous employers, he may have issues that directly affect his productivity. Resumes do not tell employers enough about an individual. Assessments can be used to complement a resume and educate those in charge of hiring so that they can make the best decision possible.
This is Part 2 in our series about the value of screening employees during the hiring process. Review Part 1 and read ahead to Part 3 for the full article.
