Curiosity compels us to seek information. And thanks to the digital universe, most things we want to know are only a click away. For instance, how many gold medals did the USA athletes win at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics?
But what about data that matters to you – data that can help human resource professionals not only shape the future of your business, but also create a safe work environment?
In our ongoing efforts to provide our clients with relevant data, we recently engaged the number one marketing insight firm in North America to conduct a survey among 1,000 college educated individuals; 99.2% were employed full time. Our goal was to capture their thoughts on employment background checks. The responses provided us with great insight into the importance of background checks from employees’ perspective.
Below is a summary of our background screening questionnaire. In two subsequent blogs, we will highlight the respondents’ answers about social media background check and drug testing questions.
Do you believe background checks are important?
Background checks are mission-critical and can safeguard a company from a host of legal issues. However, resumes and the application that a candidate completes won’t paint the complete picture. While we know the reasons why companies choose to perform a background check, we wanted to hear objective comments from those outside the HR sphere. The consensus was that 89.3% of college-educated full-time workers believed there is merit in pre-employment background checks.
Are you nervous about what will be found in your background check?
With the way people pour out their lives on social media, some may wonder if there’s anything about a person’s background that isn’t already online. This isn’t always the case, as some may have a few skeletons rattling in the closet. When surveyed, 85.8% of our respondents expressed they had no anxiety relating to what may surface on their background report. At the opposite end of the spectrum were 16.4% of full-time workers who had some apprehension about what a background report would reveal.
In some cases, this is merely an issue of transparency. While many companies do perform full background checks, they do not always take extra steps to ensure their employees are educated about their policies and procedures.
Does your employer run full background checks on their employees?
Full-time workers had some ambiguity about their employer’s hiring process on this question; 23.4% were uncertain if their employers conduct a full background check.
Would you feel safer knowing that your employer is performing recurring background checks on existing employees?
On the issue of safety, 64.4% of those surveyed indicated that they would feel safer if their employer conducted recurring checks on current employees and 17.3% said that they were unsure whether the practice would make them feel safer.
The value that individuals place on safety at home and at the workplace will usually place high on their list of list of desires – and are often non-negotiable. Obviously, the workplace has experienced a seismic shift since COVID made its entrance, but when colleagues work together 8-10 hours a day, conflict will arise.
Are you confident that your employer does a comprehensive background check?
70% of full-time employed, college educated respondents felt confident that their employer conducts comprehensive background checks.
One of the best, most efficient precautionary steps a company can take to minimize risks is to hire the right individuals is to conduct comprehensive background checks with a PBSA-Accredited screening provider like Crimcheck.
If you are employed, did you get a background check before you were hired for your job? If yes, were you satisfied with the turnaround time?
Watching the sand in an hourglass run out is a reminder that time is valuable – and time is money. While the data indicate that 71.8% of respondents were satisfied with the turnaround rate, this feedback indicates there is room for improvement.
Making the decision to take a step toward a career move can elevate stress for anyone. Waiting on a background check verification amplify this. Crimcheck can ensure you receive timely background checks that are accurate and thorough.
