Why Industry Matters When it comes to Background Checks
By Julie F. Burke
November 21, 2016
Knowing the background of your applicant can be the greatest indicator of their ability to do their job. There are many different types of background checks that can be run on your applicants and you want to make sure your background screening program is customized to be industry and job specific. Flexible and tailored background screening solutions will help provide a safe and secure workplace.
State and Federal Regulations
Certain states mandate specific background checks due to regulations. Typically these industries have employees or volunteers who care for or have custody of youth or the elderly. This would include school employees, day care, nursing homes and other organizations.
EEOC Regulations and Disparate Impact
The EEOC specifies that the nature of the job is more than just job title; evaluation of specific duties, essential functions, and environment all need to be considered. Even a seemingly neutral background check policy can have an adverse / disparate impact on certain protected groups. Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from using neutral tests or selection procedures that have the effect of disproportionately excluding persons based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, where the tests or selection procedures are not “job-related and consistent with business necessity.” This is called “disparate impact” discrimination.
Job Specific
Here are some key questions you should consider when developing your background check program.
- What is unique about your industry and the applicants you hire?
This is an important question so your background screening provider can create several different combined reports based on the positions within your company.
- Will the applicant be handling cash?
If so, you will want to include a Credit Report and Character Reference. This will help determine how they handle their own financing as well as others’ perceptions of your applicant.
- Will the applicant be working with children or elderly people?
As stated above, some states mandate fingerprinting applicants that work with these individuals. But, you also may want to add in a National Criminal Database or Sex Offender search, to cover all bases.
- Will the applicant be driving a company vehicle during work hours?
If your insurance does not cover this, it is appropriate and advisable to run a Motor Vehicle Report on your applicants. This way, you can protect your company by not having drivers with a suspended license and/or too many points off their license operating machinery or motor vehicles.
- Are past employment verifications/education verifications important for this position?
Organizations/Companies must uphold their credibility. For example, if you are hiring an applicant to teach at a University, you would want to make sure they have the appropriate degrees they specified in order to teach a class. Or, that a CPA actually worked for a certain accounting firm.
A quality background screening company should ask these types of questions in order to put together a background check that is industry specific. You don’t want to be stuck with just a “standard” background check that doesn’t cover all of the areas you really need.
SELECTiON.COM® provides the comprehensive and customizable screening solutions needed for your industry. Visit us today at https://selection.com/industry-specific-background-checks/ to see the industry solutions we already have in place.
NOTE: The contents of this article are not legal advice for your particular situation. You should neither act nor rely upon anything stated in this article without first consulting your own legal counsel.
