The background check piece of the hiring process is taken for granted in many organizations. It’s a step that is critical to the security and stability of a company that is often forgotten about because it is sent off to a third party and filed away upon receipt. That third party holds a huge amount of responsibility based on the sheer volume of cases they are asked to manage; with almost 70% of organizations conducting criminal background checks on all candidates according to a recent study from the Society for Human Resource Management. Having this massive piece of your hiring process entrusted to the wrong third party could severely hamper your ability to hire top talent and affect the bottom line of your Human Resources budget.
It’s easy to let the criminal background check slip into a foregone conclusion. Most companies don’t have the resources necessary to properly conduct a thorough background check on their own without the help of a third-party vendor. Understanding the process of submitting to the various searches at the national, state, and county levels in addition to finding all potential active warrants isn’t something an internal Human Resources team should concern themselves with. The leadership of these teams should be aware of the level of search depth required for each position in their organization, and they should be confident that their third-party partner can execute their vision appropriately. Depending on their industry, some companies may want to include drug testing or driving record checks for some, but not all, of their potential candidates depending on which position they are being hired for. Some larger third-party background check vendors are limited to selling clients a few “one size fits all” packages and be unwilling to meet the unique needs of dynamic organizations.
Effective Human Resources leaders know that efficiently supplying their team with talent is a key measure of success. Having extended wait times while candidates await results from their background checks can hurt productivity and erode trust in the Human Resources team. While some aspects of the background check are reliant on the responsiveness of government agencies, you can take more control over your hiring process by having a third-party partner that you can easily contact for in-depth updates. Having a reliable connection to your criminal background check vendor is the same as being able to hold any other member of your hiring team accountable for their deliverables.
Investing in a thorough background check procedure for every candidate that enters your organization can save you a huge amount in the long term; there’s no price too high to establish trust in your workplace. According to a recent consumer index, a background check cost can run up to approximately $150 per candidate. These costs can add up depending on the volume of hiring in your organization and if your candidates require additional levels of search such as drug testing or personal finance record checks.
It’s understandable to see a bombardment of requests from potential vendors to replace an existing service provider. Being able to treat your third party criminal background check vendor like any other member of your hiring team is critical to the success of your Human Resources team; so do your due diligence, compare potential partners, and discuss the decision with members of your team: just as you would before bringing any other member of your team onboard.
