Background Screening: Current Trends And Uses

4 methods to excel in background checks.

With a vast reserve of potential candidates on the labor market, employers must pay extra attention to the backgrounds of those applying. Companies want to make sure that the person they hire is indeed who he or she claims to be. 

While some believe it’s not so essential, many experts confirm that the need for a specific specialist is followed by the need to look for particular qualifications and competencies in a candidate. 

That is why it is so crucial to know the candidate's background. So, here are four methods to achieve that. 

Good old personal recommendations are here to stay. They’ve been working well for decades. Nevertheless, the first "business" case of such a proposal triggered a brand new business model when William Russel Kelly recommended his PA to a businessman friend whose PA just happened to be on sick leave. You are right! We are talking about recruitment agencies. This proven method is still used and is known as one of the stages before a candidate has a job offer to sign. Some intensive checks can involve interviews with anyone who previously knew or worked with the applicant — such as teachers, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family members, etc. 

Safety is crucial for both the protection of current employees as well as for the company's reputation. Thus, a candidate must be checked in a criminal record database. No extra justification is required. 

Education has always been crucial for hiring. Some companies even recruit only those candidates who have graduated from a specific school. That is why education verification is one of the essential parts of a background check. Requesting a candidate's diploma certificate is one of the easiest ways to do that; contacting the university for the same purpose is also an option. 

Today's companies are more focused on their cultural DNA, and they aim to recruit those applicants who are a perfect fit from that perspective. They do it for many reasons: one is to ensure a healthy working environment. Employers believe that a candidate's fit is just as important as a professional one. 

Social media is so well-integrated in our lives that checking if a candidate fits has never been easier. Recruiters, hiring managers, or even CEOs check a candidate’s social media pages to make sure that there is a "match" from a cultural and personal perspective. This method is one of the most trendy.