Background Check: An Important Part of Recruitment

‘Background check’ is a phrase which should be used more often in human resources departments when selecting candidates for interview and hiring. There is an old saying, ‘never judge a book by its cover’. That adage is never more important than it comes to recruitment. When it comes to finding and recruiting the most suitable candidates for your business, going deeper and conducting a background check should be a routine part of recruitment, more so in sensitive areas of a business. One of the best ways to handle these background checks in a discreet manner, but in a way which will still fully disclose all the relevant information, is to use a private investigator.

Background Checks Through A Private Investigator

In a highly competitive labour market, candidates are more liable to either embellish previous experience on their CV or to hide less attractive aspects of their employment or personal history. This is even more common in entry level positions where employment histories are thinner. Today, recruiters have access to professional background screening and criminal records bureau background checks. Using employee background check services in your recruitment process is first and foremost to help you differentiate between potential candidates and ensure that the information included in their CV and any covering letter is correct and accurate. As an employer, it is also important to vet potential new employees to ensure that there is nothing in their past which could either harm your business or create an unsafe environment for other workers or customers. Potential employers have the right to find out about a wide variety of aspects of a candidate's past, including where relevant or appropriate, employment history, criminal convictions and credit history. To a trained recruitment or private investigation professional, it is often fairly easy to spot where would-be employees have glossed over the truth or embellished their own skills and experience. By using the right checks service, you can be sure to pick up any and all inaccuracies in the CVs you are reviewing before you admit potential bad influences to your business or organisation. Using an employee background check through a private detective and private investigations service is an excellent and cost-effective way to safeguard your reputation and the future of your business.

What Can Background Check Services Include?

We have outlined the benefits of why you as a recruiter or HR professional should apply background checks to potential candidates or recruiters. We will now look at the types of pre-employment background checks you may wish to consider using. In general, an employee background check should include work history and educational verification. Work history checks should include the previous five years of employment or educational history. Every candidate should be checked for their right to work in the UK. Any claims of professional qualifications and memberships of professional organisations should also be confirmed. Furthermore, depending on the role and organisation, you may also require a drug test to be conducted, directorship searches, character/professional references, property ownership checks as well as a background criminal check through the relevant authorities. This is because certain individuals can be barred from holding positions due to holding a criminal record. In recent years, an online criminal background check through the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) has become increasingly commonplace. It’s worth noting that this latter check can only be made with the permission of the individual involved. Vetting employees through the media and/ or social media can also be beneficial to candidates, highlighting anything which could count against them in being recruited. Finally, for financial and high profile roles, you may wish to investigate areas such as credit history, bankruptcy, CCJ searches and Bank of England Sanction searches. A trusted private investigation firm such as UK Background Checks has the necessary skills to carry pre-employment background checks.

UK Background Checks Provides A Full Pre-Employment Background Check Service

Using a background check as an employer can be an invaluable tool to help you select the most suitable candidate every time. When pre-employment background checks are used on a consistent basis, they can mitigate and eliminate future issues for your business. Hiring a private investigator through UK Background Checks (https://www.ukbackgroundchecks.com/) ensures a great return on investment for each new hire. To find out how we can help contact us by telephone on + 44(0)845 512 0440, during office hours. Alternatively, email us via our on page contact form or write to us at UK Background Checks, 44 Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, KT2 5EE.