Hiring Process

Compare at least three possible components of background checks.

Criminal History Records

The process of hiring new employees requires frugality when conducting background checks. Employers can have candidates self-report. Alternatively, employers can use external sources to obtain a candidate’s criminal history. Employers’ main problem is the lack of extensive information even after paying significant subscriptions to relevant websites. This aspect, which employers believe is important for screening candidates, meets intense admonition from various quarters. By 2016, at least 21 states instituted ‘ban-the-box’ policies. These policies were intended to stop employers from conducting criminal checks until they present conditional employment offers (Aamodt, 2016). Therefore, the lack of access to credible and complete information makes this source controversial. The limitation of opportunities for candidates with criminal records also renders it contentious.

Credit History

A good number of employees conduct credit checks to determine the candidates’ credit reports. Most employers desire to employ financially responsible candidates who may not be incentivized to participate in unethical practices. For instance, hiring a Chief Financial officer who is bankrupt or violates tax laws may be a bad decision for a company. However, the law requires employers to inform candidates of the reasons for denial of employment if it is connected to their credit history (Brody, 2010). Such information enables employers to make the best decisions regarding their workforce.

Reference Checks

Candidates always provide references who can confirm the curriculum vitae or resume information. Despite the voluntary nature of references, one would expect them to provide significant information regarding candidates. Unfortunately, this is not the case due to fear of lawsuits for providing such information. Most references only provide dates of employment and titles of candidates. To counter this, employers offer confidentiality to references, which should encourage them to speak about the candidate. Se former employers remain adamant about providing such information (Brody, 2010).

Recommend elements that should be included in the hiring process.

The hiring process is critical to every organization because it consumes time and financial resources. Therefore, each organization should ensure that they hire the right candidates for the job. This reduces the chances of high turnover. For these reasons, the organization needs to conduct the hiring process within legal restraints. The employers should post the vacancies on their respective platforms. The shortlisting and interviewing processes should follow this. The process of conducting reference checks should be carried out reasonably and legally to avoid lawsuits. Once the right candidate has been chosen, the company should create an employment contract that details requirements, remuneration, and other policies.

Summarize legal concerns that should be considered for each element.

The job post should not infer discrimination against certain groups. For instance, it should not specify the candidates’ race, physical ability, or nationality. Gender can be specified if the company is seeking to balance the gender ratio. In addition, it should list the roles and requirements to cushion the company against future lawsuits (Whitford, Hanna, & Gerber, n.d). The process of obtaining information about candidates should be done legally and transparently. For instance, the process of obtaining information regarding past employment should not jeopardize the reference. At the same time, negligence while hiring is legally frowned upon. If an employer hires an abusive or violent individual who then causes harm to other employees, they are held liable, especially if such information is available. During employment, the employer is expected to maintain their contractual obligations towards employees. Failure to do so in various ways, such as sudden termination or retaliation towards whistleblowers, easily attracts lawsuits. Therefore, all organizations should always observe the potential legal loopholes that may lead to lawsuits.

References

Aamodt, M. G. (2016). Conducting Background Checks for Employee Selection. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/documents/shrm-siop%20background%20checks.pdf

Brody, R. G. (2010). Beyond the basic background check: hiring the “right” employees. Management Research Review, 33(3), 210-223.

Whitford, F., Hanna, M., & Gerber, C. (n.d). The Hiring Process. Retrieved from https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/PPP/PPP-69.pdf

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The Hiring Process

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Hiring Process

• Compare at least three possible components of background checks.
• Recommend elements that should be included in the hiring process.
• Summarize legal concerns that should be considered for each element.