Every employee in their respective companies must have heard of background verification. If you have managed to pass the job interview stage, you’ll know that every employer takes this process seriously. They want to know who they are employing, and they do this by authenticating what’s on your resume. Scaling an interview is only one part of the recruitment process. There is another phase that is done covertly by the HR of the company. It’s a necessary process designed to weed out dishonest employees who aren’t what they claim to be. You’re applying for the manager position, so naturally, the company will want to verify whether you have that work experience. Background check on prospective employees is carried out in almost every company. A survey recently carried out by Endrea points that 98% of companies engage in this process. This article seeks to acquaint you with the background check process, what it entails, how it is done, and why it’s done.
What is Background Verification?
This is a process in which your prospective employer confirms or verifies the details on your resume or CV. HR can also outsource this task to background check companies. The process is designed to determine if you are the ideal candidate for the position. It’s done by placing a call or paying a visit to the company’s HR you worked at previously.
How is Background Verification Carried Out?
- Professional references check (for employment history)
- Personal references check (for residential address)
- Credit check (for tax records)
- Social media check, among many others.
What are the Details Checked During Background Verification?
Employment History
This is one of the important details that’s checked after passing the interview. Your prospective employers contact your previous place of employment and make some inquiries. They ask certain questions such as:
- Were you a staff there, and in what position?
- If yes, how long did you work there?
- Why did you leave there?
- How did you perform in the position you held?
These are usually the major questions asked and might be followed up by some minor inquiries later to round up. The first question establishes whether you were staff or not and if you held the position you mentioned. If the answer is no, then the inquiry ends there. There’s no need to proceed further. You lied to them, so you might as well forget about the job. However, if the answer is yes, they go on to establish the authenticity of your employment history further. The second question is to know if the duration of your employment in the company aligns with what’s on your resume. The third question is to establish if the reason you left there is the same as what you told them. If you were fired, another question would follow. They can ask, “Why was he/she fired?” The fourth question establishes your quality or competence as an employee. Prospective employees rarely tell their prospective employers that they were fired, which may draw some negative attention. Therefore, the employment history check is a crucial part of the background verification done by HR.
Educational History
Background verification is a very thorough process, so successfully verifying your employment history doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Your education is also investigated to see if the details of your educational history are authentic, especially your qualifications and any award(s) you may have included to add finesse or impress them. Your prospective employer will ask for the date you got your degree(s) and will ask for your former name (if you did a change of name after graduation). Certain companies may not investigate this particular detail. Some stop at your employment history and criminal records. However, a lot of companies verifies your educational history to find out if they are being scammed. This process is carried out particularly on prospective employees applying to sensitive positions. A falsified educational background of a high-ranking staff in any well-known company can hurt the company’s public image. So, a lot of companies don’t rule this detail out. Instead, they become proactive in making sure this doesn’t come back to dent them in the future.
Criminal Records
Prospective employers also check to see if their prospective employees have a criminal record- a charge or conviction. They do this to see if the potential recruit is up to societal standards. No reputable company will want to hire an ex-convict or someone who has frequent run-ins with the law. They see such potential recruits as someone who has an issue with authorities.
Home or Residential Address
HR also verifies the residential address of prospective employees to see if they’re giving a correct address. They schedule a day to pay a visit to the said address and make inquiries from neighbors if they know you and you reside at the address you indicated in your CV. They will also contact family members and friends to verify this claim as well.
Why does HR Carry Out Background Verification?
Below are the possible reasons why HR verifies the background of prospective employees:
To Hire High-Quality Employees
It’s not uncommon for employees with a low level of competence and work experience to have an attractive resume. After all, the aim is to get a job, right? Companies verify backgrounds to ensure that they don’t hire the wrong candidate. They take care to hire someone they are sure can perform and deliver.
To Protect their Image and Reputation
The kind of employees hired by a company has a big impact on their public image or perception. It’s no secret that a bad image is bad for business. So companies ensure that potential recruits have verified and authentic backgrounds that are satisfied with their standard.
Legal Requirements
Companies that don’t bother to check the background of the employees they hire might run into trouble with the law or violate specific legal requirements. For example, imagine a company hiring a recruit with a violent criminal record. Aside from the damage to their reputation or public image, there can be legal consequences.
Conclusion
This article discusses how background verification is done by HR. First of all, it sheds light on what a background verification process is and how it’s done. Then, it talks about the details verified during the process (the kind of questions asked to verify them). Finally, it discusses some of the major reasons companies carry out background checks on potential recruits.
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References
https://uprighthc.com/blog/complete-guide-of-the-background-check https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170427005094/en/Survey-Finds-25-Percent-Businesses-Assess-Employee https://www.fundera.com/blog/best-background-check-sites
