Hiring has never been more prevalent, especially in California. Since the COVID-19 pandemic shoved everyone into their homes, a record number of people went on unemployment benefits in the United States. The unemployment rate is still above 8 percent. So many workers were paid to stay at home. Incentive is low because a lot of people are getting larger checks than they would from their previous jobs.
Still competition in the job market will continue to increase as more people go back to work. Companies of all kinds are looking to hire the best employees. With so many workers needing jobs, businesses are running background checks to find the best person for the job. Background checks give you the personal information of the prospective candidate, including their current and former names as well as their home address and much more.
Criminal Record
The most obvious benefit of employee background check services is the ability to take a look at the candidate’s criminal record. Not only will running a background check show you if the prospective employee has been convicted of a crime, these services show you when they are on the sex offenders list. Beyond criminal records, background checks even provide civil court records and other court documents. They can also offer international, federal, state, and county background checks. Access to the candidate’s criminal record is just the beginning.
Education & Employment Verification
Did you know that when you run a background check it verifies the candidate’s education and employment? The service offers education information that will reveal when they began school, if and when they graduated, and what they majored in. With information on the level of education that the person has, you’ll be able to determine if they are being honest.
Furthermore, background checks offer employment verification. This service enables you and your company to see how long they worked at all of their jobs, who their managers were, and why they left the job. Not only is a background check a great way to see if the candidate is telling the truth, you will be able to look into the details of their employment history.
Driving Records
Another piece of information provided by a background check is the person’s driving records. This is especially helpful when the job includes driving. It will show you if they have any tickets on their record and may even offer accident information. You might be surprised that background checks show you the current license expiration dates and when it was issued to the prospective employee. When it comes to driving jobs, obtaining their record is imperative. You will be glad that you ran the background check to see if they are suitable for a driving job.
Professional License & References
Background checks verify professional licenses and references. If the job requires a license for a particular position, you will be able to see if they have it. It will also show you if the license is current and when it will expire. Should the candidate need a license, you will be able to determine if the person is being honest about it.
A background check can even verify professional references. On their resume the candidate will have a variety of relevant references that you can call to verify their experience. Even if the person doesn’t answer your phone calls, a background check will help you and your company verify that the person is telling the truth about their references. If the person is lying, a background check will help you find out.
Workers Compensation Records
One of the best parts of a background check is that you can see worker compensation records and information on their past employment and unemployment. If the person has received funds for an injury or another issue, a background check will provide that information. This will give you a window into the person, if they have been injured, and whether or not they have paid the relevant taxes. If an employee you hire hasn’t paid the taxes on their workers compensation, you might get stuck with the bill.
When you are trying to create a hard-working, trustworthy staff, running background checks is a great way to ensure that the candidates are the highest quality employees. Start running background checks today, you will only benefit from the information that they can provide.