Pre-employment screening is an effective risk management tool that has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of a bad hire.  Employers typically engage in pre-employment screening for four reasons:
1.  To discourage applicants with something to hide--just having a pre-screening program discourages job applicants with a criminal background or falsified credentials.
2.  To eliminate uncertainty in the hiring process--many employers have discovered the hard way that relying on instinct alone is not enough.  Hard information is also an important part of the hiring process.
3.  To demonstrate Due Diligence--all employers have  a reasonable duty of care in the hiring process.  That means an employer must take reasonable steps to determine whether an employee is fit for a particular job.  For example, an employer who hires a bus driver and does not take reasonable efforts to determine if the bus driver has a criminal record, could be found liable if that driver assaults a passenger, and a reasonable background check would have discovered the prior assaults.
4.  To encourage honesty in the application and interview process--Employers find that just having a background program will encourage applicants to be more forthcoming about their history.

Performing background screenings is certainly not a guarantee that every bad applicant   will be discovered.  For the prices charged by pre-screening firms, employers cannot expect an in-depth and exhaustive FBI type investigation.  However, just engaging  in screening program demonstrates due diligence and provides an employer with a great deal of legal protection.

It is also important to understand that a pre-screening program is aimed at how a person has performed in the  public aspect of their lives.  Items such as a criminal records or previous job performance reflects how a person behaved towards others, or discharged their obligations or responsiblibietes.  Screening is NOT an invasion of privacy, a sign of mistrust or an act of "Big Brother."

Your employees are your most valuable resources. But a bad hire can result in:

• Lawsuits by employees or third parties
• Workplace Violence
• Unqualified employees
• Lost business and customers
• Theft, embezzlement or property damage
• Negligent hiring exposure
• Sexual harassment difficulties
• Financial losses
• Fraudulent claims
• Time wasted in recruiting, employing and training

Exposure arising from workplace violence and negligent hiring alone justifies setting up a pre-employment screening program. The number one predictor of workplace violence is past problems. Since most employers are unable to obtain good references from past employers, using pre-employment screening professionals such as ESR is critical.

Hiring new employees can be taxing, even for companies with a fully staffed Human Resources or Security department. Most applicants are honest and hard working. However, a growing number of people are falsifying their applications, either embellishing their credentials or hiding negative information such as criminal convictions or a termination for cause.

A background screening by ESR is typically less than the cost of a new employee on their first day of employment. There is no question that a background-screening program is more then worth the cost.

For additional information, please see the following ESR publication:

1.  What a Business Needs to Know About Pre-employment Screening with Employment Screening Resources.