Bringing on a new team member is a crucial moment in your business. Every single team member is entrusted with a little bit of your company. You have invested a lot of time and money into your business. You cannot afford to hand over even the smallest piece of it to someone who is not trustworthy. This is why it is crucial to take your time during the hiring process to be sure you are bringing on the very best new team members. Let’s look at a few corners you should never cut during your hiring process.
Identity Verifications
This should be one of the very first steps in your hiring process. You will require all job applicants to submit basic identifying documents. These documents usually include a driver’s license, birth certificate, and social security card. There could be other documents you require as well. These basic id documents should all be consistent with one another. Any inconsistencies could be a red flag concerning the person’s honesty and behavior.
Many business owners will also have an employment identity background check conducted by a third party. Identity check services can be precious. The companies that provide these types of services have access to more technology and information to check identity on a deeper level. Investing in this type of service can be a good idea, especially if you are looking for ways to save time without cutting corners.
Employment History
Checking the employment history of an applicant is another corner you should not cut. It is not uncommon for a dishonest person to create a job history and create references hoping that the employer or hiring manager is lazy and will not actually follow up. Don’t be lazy. Always check your employment history. In addition to verifying if the applicant is honest, you can also use this time to get more details from past employers concerning the employee’s kind of employee. Even if you do not follow up in-depth with every past employer, you must spend at least a little time talking to a few of them.
While talking with past employers, you can find out what skills and qualifications stand out about this person. You can also find out how those skills and qualifications were being used daily.
Criminal Background Check
This is probably one of the most important aspects of your hiring process. Brining on a person who has a past illegal activity could pose a huge risk to your employees. The criminal background check is your one opportunity to verify that you are dealing with an honest, law-abiding citizen.
Some employers do purposefully offer jobs to those who have done jail time. That is a special situation that requires its own set of policies and protocols. The criminal background check can even help the employer better understand what type of criminal history the person had.
The Interview
Although very few employers would ever completely skip the interview, there are ways of cutting corners with the interview, which could have bad consequences later. Be sure that you schedule enough time for the interview so that you can be thorough and thoughtful. When you are crunched for time, you may not be as thoughtful with your questions. The interview is a critical part of the hiring process, which allows you to interact with the job applicant. Their body language and how they handle themselves can tell you a lot about them.
Employers and hiring managers must take their time during the hiring process to ensure that their future team comprises the very best employees.