What Is The Hardest Aspect Of Pre-Employment Screening?

What is the hardest aspect of pre-employment screening? In talking with a number of owners of small and medium-sized businesses it seems that the hardest aspect of background screening is not necessarily the screening itself, but the determination of depth to which any background screening needs to go.

 

Clearly if one is employing somebody in a relatively minor position such as a cleaner, it will not be necessary to carry such in-depth pre-employment screening as you would if you were employing a new chief executive. That background screening to some extent is necessary regardless of the position being applied for is obvious, but clearly it needs to be appropriate to the position and the relative risks. But how do you decide exactly what those risks are, and how the level of those risks translates to an appropriate depth of screening?

 

The problem is compounded by the fact that even what may appear to be relatively sound background checking could well be rendered invalid because of the ability these days for documentation to be forged or manipulated. Within a couple of mouse clicks it is possible to find a number of online websites where for a few hundred pounds you can purchase virtually any degree qualification you like up to and including doctorates.

 

Not only that but it is also just as easy to fabricate an employment history, with facilities online which enable you to replace a period of time in your past with a fabricated period of employment. Very handy if you’re wanting to cover-up either a lengthy period of unemployment or illness, a period of employment from which you may have been sacked, or even a prison sentence. Covering up these sorts of negative issues and embellishing the level of qualifications you have gained is a matter of minutes and a credit card.

 

It is even possible to fabricate referees, the easiest and most common method of which is to simply provide the name and direct number of a friend or colleague who worked at the same location, and who will provide you with a glowing reference.

 

So with all of these potential methods of subterfuge being employed in a worryingly high proportion of job applications, how do small and medium-sized business owners determine just how far they will need to go in order to ascertain the veracity of both the references and the employment history provided?

 

The easiest and most reliable method is to approach an agency which specialises in carrying out pre-employment screening and background checks. In addition to carrying out these checks on your behalf using their sophisticated systems and services, they will also be able to provide you with accurate and reliable recommendations as far as exactly how deep those background checks need to go. It is the quickest, simplest and often cheapest way of making sure you know exactly who it is you are employing without taking either unnecessary risks, or unnecessary time and resources.