FEATURE
Majority of Companies Now Outsource Background Checks

Background screening is becoming more and more essential in the hiring process, and a new survey indicates that most of those screenings are done by outside firms. Nearly two-thirds of companies, according to the Business 21 Publishing survey, engage outside firms.

Of those who do hire a background screening company, the main reason cited for doing so is concern over hiring a dangerous person who could harm others. Another major factor comes from concern that job applicants misrepresent the facts on their resumes, according to survey respondents.

Other reasons why firms opt to outsource their background screenings:

• Merely checking references supplied by an applicant isn't going to give you the information you need to determine whether he or she poses a threat to the safety and security of your company, your workforce and the public. Today, when you call a candidate's former employer, confirmation of employment and dates of service are all many employers are willing to divulge.
• Quite simply, people lie on resumes. Studies indicate that roughly one-third of resumes contain significant misrepresentations, and nearly 80 percent contain minor fibs.
• Hiring misfires are expensive - costing a company anywhere from three to six times the person's salary, depending on their position. Though the estimates on costs to replace employees vary, whatever the real number is, it's far higher than the cost of getting it right the first time.