Is Screening Your Employees a Good Idea?

Many employers believe that screening

people they hire is necessary only at the

initiation of their employment. This may be

faulty thinking considering that people tend to

change and make mistakes. However,

requesting a background check is not an

inexpensive process and you also run the risk

of offending your employees. When is it a

good idea to rescreen your employees then?

Is it ever a good idea to rescreen them?

After Position Changes It is safe to assume that when you hire somebody, you typically feel some degree of trust with

them. If they pass the initial background check, then they are free and clear forever right?

Wrong. When somebody is promoted or given new responsibilities, you may want to consider

checking up on them again. A good example of this is if an employee will be given a company

car or responsible for operating a vehicle during work hours. You want to know if they have

been convicted of any DUIs or excessive traffic violations during the time that they have been

employed by your company. This is one example of when it would be a good idea to rescreen

your employee before giving them such responsibilities.

Workplace Incidents Problems in life can, frequently, seep through into the work place. This can cause employees to

become aggressive and confrontational with their coworkers. If one of your employees has had

multiple incidents with another employee or several employees, it may indicate that they are

experiencing some sort of problems outside of

work. While this may indicate a need to run

another background check, be careful. Incidents

certainly do not signify problems with the law.

Rescreening the employee is an option if

problems like this arise.

Unusual Behavior It is very common for a workplace to implement

random drug testing if an employee is exhibiting

bizarre behavior. It may also be a good idea to

rescreen the candidate’s background if they are

acting strange. Strange behavior is a very vague

term, and is only something that you, as the employer, can define. Whatever you deem as

suspicious or unusual behavior, be sure to act quickly before major problems arise. Timing is key

to preventing mishaps in the future.

The Choice is Yours So, we see that there may be some instances when running new background checks on

employees is appropriate. Remember that background checks only reveal the past (before the

employee was hired). If an employee has been around for years, it is possible that issues have

cropped up during their employment at your company. Before you go off requesting background

check on everyone you employ, research the laws in your state. Every state has different laws

regarding background checks. It is also important to remember that trust fosters stronger

relationships. You don’t want to always be distrustful of your employees because it will affect

the way you work with them. Only use employee screening software when the timing is right. If

properly executed, this can be a powerful tool for maintaining a quality work force.

Photo Credit: Bureau of IIP, slworking2