Know Your Employees
Criminal records checks help employers discover everything they need to know about a potential employee.
Through criminal records checks, employers can find out if the person they are interested in hiring has had any history of crime, from spent convictions to cautions.
Those who disagree with the way employment criminal background checks have grown in popularity would argue that one of the key factors in stopping offenders from re-offending is a job. And yet, it is estimated that it is eight times harder for those with criminal records to find work. Combine these facts with difficult economic times when everyone seems to be finding it hard to get work, and you could see why an offender would want to ignore their past.
From the employer’s perspective, employing someone with a criminal record without knowledge of the existence of said criminal record can result in dire consequences.
Should that person be working with children or vulnerable adults, then the risk is that those vulnerable individuals may not be safe with the person in a position of trust. And if that person is working in a financial institution, then the threat is a financial one. Either way, the employer will be seen by all parties – the potential victims, company stakeholder and the law – as being negligent and will have to accept the consequences. A thorough background check can be the most efficient way of ensuring that these consequences are irrelevant to your business.
Paying for a criminal records search means the decision maker has access to important information. It may be that the crime was petty and the offender young at the time - it is up to the employer to decide - but surely it is better to have the full facts than a heavy conscience.
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