BY Kathy Crosett
Bringing a new employee into an organization introduces risk. What if the new team member doesn’t fit in? What if they have a criminal history that will negatively impact the organization? Advanced background checks can help to reduce uncertainty when hiring.
What is an Advanced Background Check?
Employers have often relied on simple background checks to learn whether candidates have a criminal record. Or they have required testing to verify that candidates aren’t taking illegal drugs. As technology and service levels have advanced, more employers are paying for advanced background checks.
These reviews include multiple topics ranging from criminal history to drug use to social media posts.
When it comes to hiring members of your sales team, consider ordering up an advanced background check. Why? Many of today’s buyers try to avoid salespeople. And they have strong opinions about salespeople. 40% of B2B buyers will not do business with a salesperson who has a criminal background that extends beyond speeding or parking tickets.
How Common Are Background Checks?
The best way to avoid making a bad hire is to require candidates to take skills assessment tests and to make employment offers contingent on a criminal background check. A recent Cornell University report notes that around 92% of “employers perform criminal background checks during the hiring process.”
What to Know about Changes to Fair Hiring Practices
As you start your hiring process and consider using advanced background checks, you should know about changes to the laws. Changes regarding hiring practices are taking place mostly at the state and local levels. Known as “Ban the Box” or “Fair Chance” rules, employers can’t ask about criminal history at the time of application.
This change gives applicants with a criminal past a better chance of being considered for employment. Employers can still conduct a background check, but it’s done later in the hiring process, usually through a third-party. The employer may also need to “Give candidates an opportunity to provide mitigating information” if the background check reveals interaction with the justice system.
Background Check Providers
Many businesses offer background check services for employers. One key provider, Checkr, conducts background checks for businesses of all sizes. Their services range from a criminal background review to sex offender registry searches to drug testing.
Pre-Hire
In addition, their report covers details like aliases, employment history and civil court records. This level of detail provides unique insight into a candidate. The additional information gleaned from an advanced background check will not always rule out hiring a candidate. For example, the information may have no connection to the position a manager is trying to fill.
Post-Hire
Employers must also monitor their current employees’ actions. High-level employees are expected to follow a code of conduct. When they violate that code, the business’ reputation can suffer. This topic came into glaring scrutiny at a Coldplay concert when two senior employees of a business were caught together on a “Kiss-cam.” The incident resulted in both employees leaving the business because they had violated a conduct rule.
Of course, there are many other ways for employees to behave in ways that reflects poorly on the company. And businesses don’t have the resources to track this activity on their own. Technology now makes it easier to monitor employee activity, especially online.
When using a service like Fama, business leaders have an extra set of eyes and ears. This company tracks employee activities that could have a negative impact on the workplace. By monitoring social posts, Fama can alert employers to developing situations that could lead to violence in the workplace.
Fully Vetting Candidates
Employers are increasingly accessing assessment and background check platforms to optimize their workforce. Our Voice of the Sales Manager research shows that:
- 45% of sales managers use sales skills assessment tests.
- 27% use pre-hire behavioral/personality assessments.
TeamTraitTM is a leading sales skills assessment platform that gives hiring managers objective data points on candidate’s expertise and likely workplace behavior.
But there are many aspects of a candidate’s behavior that assessment tests do not measure and report on. If you’re hiring for a new team member, you’ll also want to run advanced background checks before extending an offer of employment.
