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As a human resources consultant for a variety of businesses and organizations, I have recommended that my clients conduct background checks on all employees they intend to hire.
I know many of you will disagree, or you may question some of my other suggestions. I suggest you read on.
First, some of my clients are required to conduct background checks by state or federal statute. This is especially widespread when employees will provide services to frail or vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or children. They need to know if there is a potential danger to these vulnerable populations. It is literally, legally irresponsible not to be aware of this.
Yet it is also true that the Department of Labor has taken legal action against employers that declined to hire individuals who failed to pass criminal background checks. The applicants had backgrounds that contained criminal conduct. However, the courts overturned those actions.
At the same time, the federal and state governments have made it abundantly clear they want employers to create an environment that is fundamentally inclusive. They want employers to make room for all individuals, regardless of any need for any accommodation. My position is that employers should create a business environment that is fundamentally exclusive.
An exclusive environment in my definition means that the employer, without discriminating relative to Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or other employment laws and rules, should be able to specify the policies he or she expects employees to follow, the values the employee is expected to hold, and the work ethic the employees are expected to display.
Imagine if the Navy SEALS were inclusive, rather than the exclusive organization they are. What kind of service would they be able to provide? If any owner or manager cannot control the environment that is created by their workforce, what kind of service will they be able to provide?
My recommendation to my clients is this: background checks are effective tools that should be deployed. As a business-related psychologist and expert with almost four decades of experience, I know that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.
Since most employers are not promoting from within, where they have firsthand knowledge of the individual’s past performance, the background check provides insight into past performance, which then provides insights into that individual’s likely future performance. Since the employer is clearly held accountable for what their employees do or don’t do, having the information from a background check is prudent and even essential.
