Question

1. Address the use of background investigations as part of the hiring process and how this might affect an employer’s hiring efforts. What are some of the challenges associated with the use of background investigations? How are employers addressing these challenges?

Answer 1

The uses of background checks in hiring process are as follows:

• To determine whether the facts stated by applicant during interview is true or not.
• To confirm the educational degrees and other certificate programs and participations by applicants.
• To verify about the applicant past conduct and experience as an employee in his previous work environment.
• To check criminal or civil records in order to ascertain the applicant does not have any such records which can later on be problem for the company etc.

Background investigations affects the hiring effort of the employer as the employer on their part has to do due diligence on prospective employee or applicants. If the result of investigations goes positive, the employer hires the employees or else goes for the other applicants after verification and consultation.

The challenges For the employer in conducting background investigations are varied in nature depending on the investigation they are more focused on. Some challenges include contacting the previous company of applicants, locating his address, contacting the police and government department for any past civil or criminal records, verifying the degrees etc. puts obligations on the Human Resource department of the company to do these investigations and often these activities involve cost to the company or they hire third party to do this job.