One of the most significant commitments that a government entity or a business can make will come when they hire a new team member. If you hire a new employee, you will want to be assured that you are getting someone that is experienced and can contribute right away. At the same time, you will want to make sure that the addition of the new team member does not come with any safety or security risks. One way that you can ensure you are making a good hire is by completing a national criminal Background check.

What is Included in a Criminal Background Check

A full National Criminal Background check can be a great form of diligence. These background checks will complete a national search and will provide some valuable information. This includes identifying whether the person was convicted of felonies in the past, if there were any misdemeanor criminal convictions or if there are any existing pending criminal cases.

Why Should an Employer Have a Criminal Background Check Done

Simple: prevention. It doesn’t mean that in the event of a criminal history that rehabilitation never took place — it simply means that public and private employers will be aware of prospectively pertinent information. A Criminal Background check can provide some very important and detailed information that would be useful. There are several reasons why you should have them done on your new team members:

Create a Safe Environment for Employees and Clients

One of the most important reasons that you should complete a background criminal check on new hires is so you can create a safe environment for your team members and all clients. A background check will help to identify if the candidate has faced serious charges in the past. Once you are aware of prior charges that the candidate has faced, you assess whether it is applicable to the position you’re hiring for, and make a determination about whether this poses a risk to everyone else in the workplace. This can ultimately help provide additional protection and help everyone else enjoy a peaceful and safe environment while they are at work.

Ensures Compliance

Another reason for having a criminal background check done on new employees is that it can ensure you remain in compliance with all regulations. Background checks can be quite sensitive when it comes to new hires. While it is important that you have the work done, there are protections in place for job applicants, which can vary based on the state. When you outsource the background check service, you can be assured that the searches are being done so in the right manner that will keep you in compliance with any state laws or regulations.

Background checks can also help you comply with industry regulations. Depending on the type of business you operate, there could be strict laws in place that require background and criminal searches to be done. Having these searches done professionally will ensure you are also complying with industry best practices and other regulations.

Maintain Good Reputation

A quality reputation can take years for a business to build. Unfortunately, it can also be lost quickly if you make a poor hiring decision. When you use a background check service, you will know that you have all the necessary information to hire someone that will treat their co-workers, leadership, and customers the right way. This can help you avoid challenging situations that would otherwise lead to reputational challenges.

Limit Liability Risk

All businesses today will face liability risk on a regular basis. A business and business owner could be held liable if one of their employees did something that caused harm or a loss to another person. The liability claim could be even more significant if the employee had a previous history of similar acts. When you have proper background checks done, it can ensure that you are made aware of any past convictions. Simply having this process in place can help to offset the overall liability risk.

A very important decision that many businesses will make will come when they hire a new team member. If you are going to hire a new employee, it will be important that you complete all diligence on them to ensure you are choosing the best candidate possible. A national criminal background check is an important part of this process that can ensure you are making a great hiring decision.