By Natalie Beck
While we often see stories in the news about employers who did not conduct background checks on their new hires (and subsequently regretted it), I think it is safe to say that the majority of businesses have some type of vetting process in place before making a hiring decision. In our current economic climate, it’s almost a given. For some, even a requirement. While we applaud those who have taken on the task to conduct their due diligence, we feel that there exists an opportunity to make business screening programs even better by making the background check more industry specific.
“What is that you say? Industry specific? A background check is a background check, right?” Wrong. You wouldn’t buy a size six shoe if you have size nine feet because “it’s just a shoe”, would you? I think not. You’d try it on for size and make sure it fits. You have to apply the same mentality when it comes to the background check. Employers should make certain that the background check they are running fits the industry they belong to. If you want to get even more granular, employers within these industries can (and should) customize the background check to the position they are hiring for.
For the purposes of this article, we are going to explore three industries and see how a background check for a prospective employee should differ between the three. We will analyze the Financial, Healthcare, and Construction sectors and determine the best case background check scenario for each.
But before we point out the differences, let’s talk about the similarities. A background screen for any industry should consist of a social security number trace and a comprehensive countywide criminal records check. Those are your staple services. It’s never a bad idea to complement the countywide criminal records check with a national database search to find those records that may fall outside the places where your applicant has lived or worked. If your employee will be working with the public, a sexual offender registry search is a must. A homeland security check will serve to identify a person who is a wanted fugitive by any number of federal and international law enforcement agencies. And if the position requires prior work experience, employment verifications will confirm that the know-how exists. These items make up the meat of your background check. Now, let’s choose our side dishes.
Financial Industry
In our struggling economy, businesses more than ever need to be careful with how their money is spent. For those working in the financial sector, we go a step further. When you have employees handling not only your money but the money of your clients, the public, etc., you have to be extra EXTRA sure that you’ve put the right person on the job. We’ve seen firsthand what can happen when you’ve got someone handling money that shouldn’t (think Bernie Madoff). So what types of services can a business operating in the financial district add to their background screen to ensure they have the right candidate?
The first item that comes to mind would be a pre-employment credit report. Seeing how your prospective employee handles his or her own finances can be a good indicator of how they will handle yours. This isn’t to say that any person who has been late on a payment or had an account go to collections will be a bad choice. As an employer, you have to look at the whole report and determine if there are any negative trends that could be carried over in the job and affect your business. A credit report alone should never be the only determining factor regarding whether a person is fit for a position requiring the handling of money, but it is a good clue.
Other services a finance-based employer would want to consider running on a candidate include federal district criminal record searches, an education verification, professional license verification, a federal bankruptcy search and a drug screen. With a federal district criminal records search, employers will identify criminal convictions prosecuted in federal court, many of which are white collar in nature: money laundering, tax evasion, interstate drug trafficking, etc. The homeland security search, already included in the list of services businesses should run as part of any background check, includes a search of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list. This list classifies those who have had finance-related sanctions placed upon them by various national and international government offices. If hiring an accountant or broker, making sure they have the education necessary for the position and a state license to practice is crucial. Having knowledge of any past bankruptcy filings isn’t a bad idea either (again, think of how they have handled their own finances). And testing for illegal drug use is important not only from the standpoint of evaluating the employee’s judgment, but also the safety and security of your employees, clients and business assets.
Healthcare Industry
Caring for the welfare of others is big business. Each year, millions and millions of people seek medical care for any number of reasons. Healthcare officials have an obligation to staff only those qualified to provide appropriate medical care to the people that depend on their expertise. There is nothing more outrageous than reading a story in the newspaper about a medical care facility who hired a doctor without a proper medical license.
Building on that last statement, it should go without saying that employers in the healthcare system should check to make sure that the doctor, nurse, surgeon, etc. they are looking to hire is able to practice their craft in their state and keeps up with any continuing education courses required to maintain the validity of their license. Additionally, a federal district criminal records search and a more comprehensive drug test are recommended as these are individuals with extensive access to both personal medical records (identity theft) and regulated pharmaceuticals (prescription drug abuse).
We’ve already mentioned that a sex offender registry search should be conducted on any applicant you are looking to hire. Within this field, the importance of this service cannot be stressed enough. As a healthcare provider, it is your duty to protect your patients from registered sex offenders and those with convictions for violent crimes. Employing a pediatrician convicted of child molestation, for instance, would be any healthcare employer’s worst nightmare.
For the healthcare industry, there exists a very specific tool that can be used during the vetting process that may prove vital to your hiring decision. This tool consists of a check against the Office of Inspector General’s healthcare sanctions list (commonly referred to as the OIG search). Parties on this list include those that are barred from participating in any federally funded health care programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid. According to the OIG’s website, “bases for exclusion include convictions for program-related fraud and patient abuse, licensing board actions and default on Health Education Assistance Loans.” If services are rendered to a patient who uses federal healthcare programs by a person included on the OIG’s sanctions list, payment for services will not be made to the individual or entity. What business wants to employ an individual to perform work for them for which they will not be compensated? My guess would be none.
Construction Industry
Think about where you are reading this article right now. If you are sitting in your office, is it located on the fourth floor? The ninth? How about your house or apartment? How many tons of wood, brick and/or steel do you think make up the framework of your home? These are important questions. Why am I asking? If the person who built your office or home didn’t do the job properly, your life and the lives of your co-workers and family are at risk. Like any other industry, employers in the construction business need to make sure that those responsible for building these structures are skilled to perform these duties.
A professional license verification is essential when hiring a worker on a construction site. If you’ve got unlicensed construction workers on a work site, that could spell big trouble in the form of fines or possible criminal prosecution. It is also important to verify that the worker holds the construction certification he or she claims to have. If the job responsibility of the employee is to operate a forklift or a bulldozer, you may want to check their driving history. If their motor vehicle record shows a history of DUI’s, you may want to re-think that offer of employment.
For this industry, there is one item I cannot stress enough that employers should (and may be required by law to) use during both the vetting process and on a continual basis: drug and alcohol testing. The operation of commercial equipment and the handling of heavy building materials is a tough job that requires a clear head. There have been too many instances of construction workers losing their lives on a work site due to either themselves or a co-worker being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Random drug and alcohol screening serves as a deterrent to using and abusing drugs and alcohol while on the job.
Customizing your screening program to fit your company’s industry and/or the position you are hiring for is crucial to making the right choice in a candidate. The people you choose to work for you represent who you are as a company. So, what do you want your choices to say about you?
Stay tuned to employeescreenIQ’s website for more information on industry specific background checks.
Natalie Beck is Project Coordinator for Cleveland-based EmployeeScreenIQ, a best practices provider of pre-employment screening services throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Natalie can be reached at (800) 235-3954 ext. 459 or by email at nbeck@employeescreen.com.
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