As a small business owner, you want to get your enterprise on the right track from the get-go. “Begin as you mean to go on,” is a valuable mantra for a reason. One policy that’s important to set and hold from the beginning is conducting background checks and employee drug testing for all new hires. You can find a company to drug test near you by looking for your location, such as searching for drug and alcohol test Orlando, Florida. As important as this is, it’s one that’s often difficult for small business owners to get right. Let’s take a look at a few common mistakes SBO’s make in this arena:
A bpss check is a background check conducted on prospective employees in the United Kingdom to help prevent illegal employment and combat identity fraud.
The Disclosure and Barring Service examines an individual’s criminal convictions and cautions during a What is a dbs check.
Going it Alone
Many small business owners decide to economize by using online, nationwide, instant database searches to conduct background checks. These are not what they seem. There is no single national database that contains complete criminal history info for every social security number. In fact, these databases are woefully incomplete. They only contain data from counties that provide free digital data, which means big parts of California, Maine, New York, Louisiana, and other states are completely left out. Even if your business is located in a region that’s covered by the database, your potential employee may have lived and worked in an area that isn’t covered and that’s all that matters. In addition, these databases typically only contain data from the Department of Corrections, which means that all criminal activity outside felony convictions is excluded.
Trusting Your Gut
Small business owners trust their guts; that’s a big part of how these businesses get off the ground. While you should absolutely trust your instincts about your product, don’t trust any employee without a background check.
Skipping the Screen
Small business owners are busy, and background checks are just one. More. Thing. Reliable background checks also cost money, which can be scarce. But skipping screens is simply too big a risk to take. The cost of one bad hire can be catastrophic to a small business trying to get off the ground. To mitigate the costs of background screens, consider the following:
- Delegate screening out to a professional background check vendor that offers flexible packages and pricing to accommodate small businesses. These providers handle the entire process, including compliance, and will help you establish a strong, consistent policy.
- Talk to your insurance provider. Many liability carriers offer discounts for customers with background check policies. This will help offset background check fees.
Overlooking Compliance
Compliance is a huge issue in the world of background checks, and it’s constantly evolving. Rather than spend valuable time and resources reinventing the wheel, partner with a professional background screening vendor who will stay on top of the latest compliance regulations for you and make sure you’re always on the right side of things.
The Solution
The remedy for all these mistakes is to use a professional background check agency. They’ll provide thorough, reliable, compliant background checks at a reasonable price so your business can make good hiring decisions.
