[Phone rings]
Ann: “Cutting Edge, this is Ann.”
Customer: “I keep my valuables locked, I’m not worried about anything walking off. I believe I have protected my assets sufficiently and don’t need background checks.”
Ann (browses email): “That’s great! But have you considered that your assets are more than brick and mortar or more than the company credit card and the stock in the storeroom?”
Customer: “Gimme a for instance.”
Ann (prints log for the day): “Your assets can be things you can’t measure—like your company’s reputation.”
Customer: “My customers love me—we have a great reputation!”
Ann: “How long will that reputation last if you get negative press or end up in court?”
In my last couple blogs I talked about how background checks can garner you a better workforce (until Better WorkForce Litmus Paper® comes out – it is still in beta testing). I also discussed how you can reduce your professional liability with proper background screening.
It all comes down to asset protection.
Background checks will protect:
- Anything people will steal (products, cash, etc.) (think petty theft=workplace theft)
- You, your customers, your employees (think domestic violence=workplace violence)
- Your reputation (think about the C-level applicants who lied on their resume and don’t have the practical experience or education they claim). Resume fraud is as high as 40%, or 2 out of every 5 resumes has a substantial falsehood. Headline:
ABC Company Loses Fortune, CFO Has No Accounting Experience, Shareholders Sue
At the end of the day, courts have ruled that if you hire negligently, you are responsible. You’re responsible even if you didn’t know something negative about your applicant, if you could have known you are on the hook. If you can prove you were diligent—you did your best to run the criminal record searches, you did your best to find out about their education and licensing when that was crucial to the position, you will be okay. No one is perfect—but you must be able to show that you were diligent.
With the right background screening partner, it’s easy. Give us a call and let’s see if we can help you achieve a better workforce.
