How Far Can Background Checks Go? 

Hiring an employee that will meet all the requirements of the company is not an easy task. You will need to speak with a bunch of people that have, more or less, the same or almost identical CV. Because of that, if you want to ensure you are making the right decision, you should go a step further. This means you should do a background check of your potential employee and ensure he is a reliable person.

But, before we move to the main point, you need to understand a few things. First of all, you need to understand that there are different types of background checks that you can do. For instance, some of them are credit history checks, pre-employment background checks, criminal history checks, etc. All these types of background checks come with different rules, and that especially counts when we talk about how far they can truly go.

That is the reason why we would want to give you some guidelines that you can follow next time you want to hire someone. As mentioned, this is the only way to ensure you are giving an opportunity to the right person that wants to show his talents and skills. Let’s go!

Bankruptcy Checks

There is a good reason why some employers want to do a bankruptcy check on their future employees. They want to ensure they are wise people that know how to handle their own budget. If they do not know how to do that properly, why would they spend the money of the company better than that?

Well, the bankruptcy check allows you to go back as far as 10 years, and we are sure these pieces of information can say a lot about a candidate’s personality. Of course, if the reason why he went bankrupt is lack of experience in the business world, this should not be a big problem. If that happened 10 years ago, there is a big chance the candidate gained the necessary experience in the meantime.

Credit History Check

It is okay if your potential employee got a bank loan. However, many people have a negative credit score, and that is something every employer should know. The good news for the entrepreneurs is that credit history checks can go back between 7 and 10 years. This depends on the salary that an employee has, but it also depends on the laws of the state where your employees live because some state laws come with certain restrictions.

Criminal History Check

Speaking of criminal history checks, things are probably the easiest in this case. There are many websites like crimecheckaustralia that employers can use to check out the criminal history of the candidates. Those websites are often easy, and, with a couple of clicks, you can get the necessary information. The question is – how far can you go?

Well, the question to that answer also depends on different factors. In most cases, you could check out the criminal history of a person for the previous 7 years. However, there are some “more liberal” states where you can do a criminal history check for 10 years.

Before we end this part, there is one thing that we have to say. Hiring a person with a criminal history is risky, especially if he went to prison because of frauds and similar things. Yet, that doesn’t mean you should automatically decide not to hire that person. Keep in mind that people change, and everyone deserves a second opportunity. Of course, not every employer is ready to expose his business to that type of risk. Some entrepreneurs simply do whatever it takes to keep the organization inside the company at the highest level as well as the reputation. But, think twice before you make that decision. Maybe someone with a criminal history is an expert in some of the fields.

Pre-Employment Background Check

This type of background check is the most popular one among employers. Business owners simply want to check out everything they should know about the candidate. Believe it or not, these background checks can go up to 10 years of court and criminal records, but, in some states, that period is even longer.

Bonus: Why Would You Do a Background Check Of Your Candidates?

After we explained different types of background checks, things will probably be clear to all employers. Still, this doesn’t mean that all of you will decide on doing that. That is the reason why we would like to highlight the main benefits of background checks. We are sure you will change your way of thinking after reading the part below.

Other Employees and the Entire Workplace Will Remain Safe

As previously mentioned, not all individuals with a criminal history will reduce the safety of your business. Some people change over time, but it is not difficult to understand why entrepreneurs want to avoid hiring these people.

You will get more information about bankruptcy, fraud, and other important things thanks to a background check. At least, you will know what you can expect from a potential candidate even if you decide to hire him. You will probably decide to control him even more until you ensure your decision was right. Without a background check, you would not take these steps at all because you would not know whether a new employee has a criminal history or not.

Improves the Speed of the Hiring Process

As we said, people that apply for your job will have the same or almost identical CV-s. After you speak with them, you will have some insights into their character and mentality. Yet, that sometimes won’t be enough, especially if you haven’t hired a lot of people so far.

A background check will help you give an advantage to some of the employees. You will manage to find out who deserves your attention the most and who can easily adapt to the main goals of your company.

Final Thought

Use the benefits of online technology to successfully complete these background checks. That is the only way to find the right person that will meet your requirements and expectations. It is especially a good opportunity for entrepreneurs that lack business experience.