Almost 10 percent of job applicants have criminal convictions and up to one-third of resumes contain serious falsehoods or omissions. To promote safe hiring, Lester Rosen, president of Employment Screening Resources*, a national background screening firm, suggests the following 10 evaluation tools.
- Have each job applicant sign a consent form for a background check, including a check for criminal records, past employment and education.
- Employment applications should ask about criminal records in the broadest possible terms allowed by law, and should not be limited to felonies.
- Advise applicants that the firm will perform a criminal background and reference check as a standard business practice. Ask whether the applicant has any concerns to share.
- Applicants should be asked during an interview what they think a former employer will say about them.
- Applications must clearly state that any false or misleading statements or material omissions are grounds to terminate the hiring process or employment, regardless of when it is discovered.
- If employment begins before a background check is completed, state in writing that employment is contingent upon a satisfactory background report.
- Verify past employment. This is probably the single most important tool for an employer.
- Obtain a listing of all addresses for the past 10 years. This is also needed for a criminal search.
- Include future screenings in the consent language in case a future investigation is needed for a criminal search.
- Check for criminal records. You may consider convictions or cases currently pending, but not arrests. Also, certain cases may not legally be used for employment decisions
* For additional information about Employment Screening Resources, visit ESRcheck.com
