The Urgent Need for Pre-Employment Screening
Background Investigations are a valuable tool to add confidence to the recruiting process and ultimately greater success to your organization. With the recent focus on workplace violence statistics, resume falsification, and negligent hiring lawsuits, the importance of background screenings has become very apparent. The Employment Management Association reveals approximately 52% of all applications will have misrepresented information about past employment, with education information misrepresented over 80% of the time. Another study showed 80% of all resumes were misleading, and 34% listed untruthful reasons for termination.
The use of screening can:
- Discourage applicants with something to hide
- Encourage open communications and honesty
- Eliminate uncertainty by basing decisions on hard information
- Demonstrate Due Diligence
- Promote workplace safety
- Reduce legal exposure for negligent hiring claims
- Provide an excellent return on investment
Employers can not afford to lose time and money interviewing, retraining, and replacing new hires that don’t work out. If the employee has access to money, inventory, vehicles, client residences, businesses or children, it is essential to conduct a detailed pre-employment screening to prevent future liability issues for the employer. Likewise, those in greater positions of responsibility, such as financial officers, CEO’s, department heads and those who use a company vehicle should be further scrutinized.
Negligent hiring is a legal theory that holds that an employer is responsible for a third party who is injured by an employee when that employer fails to diligently select competent and safe employees. The company can be liable even when the employee is not acting on behalf of the employer if a connection can be shown between the wrongful act and the employment of the individual in question.
- Over 30% of all business failures are the result of negligent hiring practices.
An employer can also be held responsible for the negligent retention of an employee. Negligent retention occurs after an employer has hired an employee and becomes aware, or should become aware, that they may be incompetent or dangerous. If the employer fails to take corrective action, then the employer may be liable when the employee harms someone. Every employer should consider periodic background investigations on current employees.
- On the job violence costs employers $36 billion annually.
Our experienced Licensed Private Investigators personally handle every request. To discuss your specific needs please contact Diehl & Associates Investigations at (231) 883-7500 or by email at info@diehlinvestigations.com.