Why Background Checks Are So Important for Small Companies 12 Dec 2017

Small businesses operate on a fairly intimate level. They don’t hire as many people as larger companies, and those they do hire often end up wearing multiple hats and interacting with one another in a closer, more fluid way. This characteristic makes background checks for small businesses all the more important. Along with the safety concerns of having people work closely together, it’s essential that a hiring manager have a good sense of the person’s soft skills, experience, and whether they will fit in with the company’s close-knit culture.

A criminal background check, reference verification, educational background check, and much more can all be verified through an employment background check. Despite the usefulness of these screening tools, many small businesses skip the screening process. The reason? They operate on a tight budget.

Luckily, there are ways to reconcile these two needs and receive a timely, thorough report that gives you a solid return on your investment.

Educate yourself

Background screening checks are not just for making sure you don’t hire a criminal or drug user. In addition to screening out individuals who could potentially harm other employees or pose a legal risk to the business, a background screening company can give you a fuller picture of the person you wish to hire. For example, a background check can even help you understand whether someone is ineligible for a loan.

There is only so much you can learn about a person through a few hours of interviews, but by cross-checking a candidate’s references and verifying previous employment, you can get a firsthand account of how this person might fit in with your organization.

Of course, an employment background check does not give you the full picture of an individual. What it does give you is confidence in who you are hiring.

Partner with a professional

With some clicks of the mouse and a few quick searches, you can find a multitude of sites promising a quick and easy DIY online employment background check. As tempting as these DIY services may be, it’s unwise to put your trust in them. They often produce questionable results, and relying on inaccurate results undermines the entire point of a background check.

To ensure you get the proper results, partner with an agency who is a member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). Not only will the right agency give you accurate results, they will act as consultants who can advise you on policy decisions and on how to get the most out of their services.

Create a policy

Having established a partnership with a qualified screening agency, you should take the time to establish a screening policy you can apply to all future hires.

At Trusted Employees, we do more than provide accurate and timely reports. We work with our clients to create a truly customized solution for their unique organization. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have regarding how our services can make you increasingly confident in your hiring decisions.