PLEASE NOTE: The Hire Authority will be conducting business throughout the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis. Our internal office is staffed with both owners and essential personnel and we also have remote staff workers, so our product (employment screening background checks) will continue without interruption. Some industries will see an update in the need for our services, (employment screening), while some will suffer, but we will continue to be available to any and all that have a need. —  Phil Sharkey, PBSA, LPDAM, The Hire Authority, Inc. (508) 230-5901 psharkey@hireauth.com / www.hireauth.com

 At the bottom of this blog you’ll find a link to the CDC for the latest information on COVID-19. We hope you are all staying healthy and following the precautionary recommendations of our city, state, and federal leaders and healthcare professionals.

A Time to Review Your Employee Background Check Protocol

 During this unprecedented and uncertain time of COVID-19, while most of us are at home in self-quarantine, it may be a good time for employers to review how they go about their employee background checks. Is your process thorough and is it actually effective?

In the past year, has your company experienced employee substance abuse, sexual harassment, workplace violence, or theft? How about false claims on a resume? DUI or criminal record in MA or in another state? Or bad attitude or behavior (that may have been found out beforehand on a thorough reference check)?

Even if you were lucky enough to not have experienced any of these, does your employee background check protocol ensure that these things won’t happen?

A Thorough Employee Background Check
A thorough employee background check should include: misdemeanor and felony criminal records searches at the county, state and national levels (international also, if necessary); sex-offender status searches; Social Security number traces and validations; employment and/or education verifications; professional license verifications; checks on references, credit reports, civil records, driver’s license and motor vehicle records; military records verifications; workers’ compensation history searches; healthcare sanction checks; and address history checks.

Failure to do so may result in not only hiring the wrong person, but also the possibility of litigation, bad publicity, or fines. The background check must also be done by a professional with experience in privacy laws so that an employer can avoid breaking the law by asking inappropriate questions or refusing employment unlawfully.

Hiring the Wrong Person Is Costly
According to a recent Career Builder Survey, 75 percent of employers said they have hired the wrong person for a position. A bad hire costs businesses an average of $17,000 once you add up lost productivity, a compromised quality of work, and time and money spent recruiting and training new workers—and much more if there are theft or lawsuits involved.

We Would Be Glad to Help!
So, take a little time while you’re at home to review what you’re doing in the way of your employee background checks. Our office would be glad to help you with this review and set up a procedure that will ensure your peace of mind. And by the time you get back to work, you’ll be able to rest assured that the employees you hire will be qualified, reliable, and squeaky clean!

Why Choose The Hire Authority for Your Background Screening?
As you can see, employee background checks can be complex. They must be done by a professional, experienced, and expert team that has kept up with recent legislation and regulation.

Be safe, not sorry. At The Hire Authority we are thorough in our screening, which guarantees that you will receive information that is current and relevant. We care about your security and we will work to keep you safe from harm or unnecessary problems.

We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and give you a quote. Call (508) 230-5901 or visit our website www.hireauth.com.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To find out everything you need to know about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) please click this link to the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

The CDC site provides all the latest information about symptoms and how to protect yourself, as well as sections for businesses, healthcare professionals, schools, U.S. locations where the virus is most predominant, and more.

The foregoing should not be construed as legal advice. Employers should always consult their own legal counsel for advice on labor and employment matters.