Background Check

Doing your homework

By N.E.

Background checks are essential when you're a small business owner. Your reputation is at risk anytime you have someone working for you and representing your organization.

Background checks should include the following:

Criminal Background Check

You can do a free background check online through the county where the person lives, but you're not going to see everywhere your potential employee has lived. You can also get a free background check by going into the courthouse in person. These steps take time and energy, and you still might not find all you need.

A criminal background check, on the other hand, will help you find certain things that may be useful in your decision of hiring an employee. These include:

  • County, State, National, and Federal Criminal Databases. You can find all the little things that may cause a potential employee to be unfit.
  • Sexual Offender Search. You don't want someone who has been convicted of being a sexual offender. This will limit who the employee can work with and will cause danger to yourself and others.
  • Fraud. You don't want anyone who has committed fraud in the past, as they could be a liability to your company – or you yourself could be the next victim.

Credit History

This should include bankruptcies, liens, judgments and real estate property search. A credit history speaks volumes about someone - if someone can't pay their bills or is not good with money, you may not want to take them on as an employee.

Employment History

Knowing someone's employment history is important. If an employee has had a long history of getting fired or switching jobs, it may indicate a pattern that will repeat with your company. You could be stuck when they decide to leave or mess up on the job.

Personal Background Check

Knowing a potential employee's personal background helps determine whether or not he or she would be a good employee. Friends, acquaintances and relatives can help you establish a bigger picture on the person you’re considering for a position.

Credential / Education Verification

This should include professional license verification. Although you may not think to verify credentials, if someone says they're a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher, you really need to make sure they are what they say they are, or you will be liable.

Motor Vehicle Report

If someone is getting into a lot of accidents or speeding a lot, it could be a sign of carelessness. You may not want this type of behavior in your company.

There are many other things that a person doing a background check can look for, depending on their specific needs. But overall, a background check is essential to prevent any bad seeds from entering your company, and to prevent bad employees from taking advantage of your small business.

There are many companies who do background checks, but not all are legit. Make sure you check with your Better Business Bureau to check on a company or a website before agreeing to give any information to them regarding background checking.