As more companies turn to the use of background checks during their hiring process, it’s important to know the risks your business may face by running these checks and obtaining personal information.
Create procedures for how background checks will be performed as part of your company policies. Consistency across your hiring department will identify and reduce errors, such as failing to have the job seeker sign a waiver. An easy-to-understand flow chart can clearly illustrate each step of the process.
When performing background checks, limit your screening to info that is relevant to the position you’re hiring for. If the employee won’t be operating vehicles as part of their role, looking into their driving records is unnecessary.
All information should be kept centrally in a single, secure location such as a Human Resource Information System. Leaving a trail of information across different devices increases the possibility of a data leak.
Determine if a background check is needed when hiring a new employee. Certain unique situations may not require you to perform screening, which helps eliminate the risk of obtaining the new hire’s personal information and any possible future breach of it. However, these exemptions should be used rarely since selective background checks on a candidate-by-candidate basis could be perceived as discriminatory.
