Since the inception of the Internet the ability to access personal information has been taken to new heights. Employers nowadays make no qualms about giving an individual a personal background check. Background checks are implemented by human resources in order obtain a potential employees past criminal, financial, professional and educational history. This helps human resources determine whether or not an individual is within the parameters of what the company considers to be a respectable employee.
When performing a background check the potential employee by law must be informed by the employer that they intend to conduct a perspective background check. This is usually done verbally and with written permission. A potential employee is given a release form, asking for their signature, social security number, birthday and present address. With the release signed the employer is privy to otherwise private information.
Background Checks are essential when recruiting and hiring for teaching jobs, accounting jobs and physician jobs, for example. In the terms of teachers since they are dealing with students on a day to day basis, finding out if they have a history of abuse with their own children, this can be useful information where the students are concerned. Physician’s handle the lives of their patients, if during a background check a human resources official discovers that the potential employee has a history of drug conviction or even forged prescriptions, not only will this prevent a potential lawsuit or litigation; it will also save lives by not employing someone who is possibly intoxicated while on the job. As for accountants, if the employer discovers that five years ago, the potential employee was convicted of embezzlement hiring that individual may prove dangerous and costly.
Where a background check can become a hindrance, is when an employer dismisses a fantastic potential employee based upon their credit or financial history. This can be cumbersome to both human resources and the potential employee; human resources may have found the perfect candidate with exceptional work and educational references. However, upon looking at their financial and credit history, they discover that the employee has had a bankruptcy or a credit card discharged.
These credit discrepancies are considered unacceptable according to the companies hiring procedures. Human resources in turn, are required to dismiss this potential employee on the grounds of their financial past. Background checks can be truly invasive when searching through a potential employee’s medical history. Whether or not an individual has a medical condition should have no basis in the hiring process. However, in some cases a person’s medical record must be released in order to protect other employees. If someone has tuberculosis, and when hired, they spread the disease to other employees the company can be held liable. However, most companies do not count against a potential employee for aliments such as cancer, MS or other genetic disorders. This type of discrimination within itself is against federal law and also is considered to be ethically reprehensible.
When companies facilitate the use of background checks, the potential employee does have the right to object to certain aspects of the check. However, upon the objection most human resource officers will assume the potential employee has something to hide. Even though this may not be the case, the request will be looked upon as suspicious. Background checks ease everyone’s minds in the end giving the employer reassurance of the potential employee’s ethical standing and giving the potential employee the understanding that the employer can hold nothing against them later.
