Hiring a new employee is a big decision. Often, employers have several suitable candidates vying for a role, and they don’t want to hire just the “best” person — they want to hire the right person. Doing so is easier said than done, although with the help of a third-party background check provider like KENTECH, businesses can be more confident that they are making the right hiring decisions.
Why background checks?
While many employers would like to think that a resume and interview are enough to make a sound decision when hiring an employee, the truth is that these may not be as revealing as they seem. In fact, SHRM found that 31% of employees admitted to lying on their resumes, while 56% admitted to “stretching the truth.” With these statistics in mind, businesses will want to verify that the person they hire is representing their background and identity accurately.
Especially considering the costs of hiring and onboarding a new employee, businesses want to ensure that they make the right hiring decision the first time. Indeed found that the average price of bringing a new employee into an organization can range from $4,000 to $20,000. It’s better to reveal any discrepancies and concerns during a background check than after an employee is hired, as replacing them once they’ve been onboarded could be costly.
Although background checks are most commonly used in investigating an individual’s criminal history, they can also verify virtually any information that could be questioned by an employer. Some info that background checks can reveal beyond criminal history include:
- Identity: Background checks can verify important identifying information for applicants, checking against social security numbers and fingerprint databases to ensure that applicants are actually who they claim to be.
- Credit History: Some background checks may offer an abbreviated credit history of applicants. While this is more common for background checks for rentals and loans, employers may use this information to better understand an applicant’s trustworthiness when evaluating applicants who will be managing or privy to financial information.
- Employment/Academic/Licensure Verification: Employers can use background checks to verify important qualifications like employment history, academic credentials, and earned licenses. This can be particularly beneficial in occupations where these requirements are necessary for legal reasons.
The advantages of KENTECH’s advanced background check technology
Perhaps the biggest advantage to a company working with a seasoned background check provider like KENECH is that it allows them to work with investigators with many years of experience. Conducting background checks in-house can be difficult for one person to manage — especially if they aren’t specially trained. Untrained individuals can overlook or misread the results of a background check, but with the help of a provider like KENTECH, businesses can rest assured that their results are fair and accurate.
Furthermore, when a business outsources its background check screenings to a third-party provider, it can expect more efficient turnaround times. If the responsibility for background checks falls to a single person on the hiring team, it can become a time-consuming, laborious process. However, between the extensive investigation background of many employees at third-party providers and the advanced technology they leverage — such as artificial intelligence — third-party providers are simply able to screen more quickly.
Outsourcing background checks is also advantageous for businesses when they have large volumes of screenings to conduct. Thanks to KENTECH’s advanced Unified Bulk Screening (UBS) technology, business leaders can import a list of candidates and their required information and order screenings for them all at once. Leaders can then choose between seeing up-to-the-minute results in their online portal or receiving a consolidated report that displays all results at once.
Another benefit of working with a background check provider like KENTECH is that their technology can seamlessly integrate into the software and systems a business already uses. KENTECH’s advanced background check solutions can be used in conjunction with many standard job application and HR programs, significantly reducing the burden placed on hiring teams. Applicants can input their information themselves, and a screening can be ordered automatically or manually. This is minimally disruptive to the applicant experience while ensuring administrative staff do not need to waste their time inputting applicant data.
Experienced background check providers can also help businesses align with legal compliance standards, which can be incredibly complex when it comes to background checks. For example, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies to background checks and employers’ investigations into applicants’ credit histories. A background check provider like KENTECH will ensure that all paperwork is FCRA-compliant, along with any other relevant legislation, protecting the business from potential legal action in the future.
Adding background checks to your hiring process may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be with the help of a third-party background check provider like KENTECH. By leveraging innovative technology and professionals with years of experience in investigations, KENTECH can deliver superior background check results with quick turnaround times and a convenient user experience. There is no better partner to inspire confidence in your hiring process.
