Why Are Background Checks Important in Today’s Society? How do They Help Prevent Fraud and Protect Public Safety?

Background checks have become increasingly crucial in today’s society, particularly in the workplace. They help employers make informed decisions about hiring candidates and provide an added layer of protection to the public. But, it isn’t just employers who can benefit from background checks. Individuals hiring babysitters, contractors, or even tenants can also significantly benefit from conducting background checks to ensure they’re making safe and informed decisions.

So why are background checks so important? In this article, we’ll explore why background checks matter, how they can help prevent fraud, and how they can keep the public safe.

Why Are Background Checks Important?

Background checks serve as a crucial tool for employers, and others looking to hire someone in all industries. They ensure that the candidates and prospective employees have the necessary qualifications for the specific job or role that they’re applying for. Background checks are crucial for public safety and transparency, especially when it comes to trusted roles like healthcare or education.

Employers in the Education and Health Sectors

Schools must conduct background checks on all staff and volunteers, including fingerprint checks to verify a candidate’s identity. Similarly, healthcare providers must perform background checks on anyone working with patients to ensure they are not a danger to themselves or others. For example, organizations that offer home care services must also perform background checks on their staff to guarantee their safety to vulnerable adults.

Background checks are put in place to protect vulnerable populations, like children or senior citizens. By ensuring that the right individuals are in jobs where they can get access to these groups of people, institutions are maintaining their credibility and reliability to the public they serve.

Other Roles

With background checks being performed across different industries, it acts as an equalizer, particularly for individuals with conflicting backgrounds. In today’s society, a lack of a background check can substantially affect the decision-making process of hiring someone, especially when it comes to roles that require the handling of classified information or demanding roles that require an individual's clean record.

Background checks verify a person’s qualifications, experience and ensure their criminal history or financial state is clean. Pre-assessment of characters and trustworthiness can help prevent mishire or workplace accidents. On the same note, the safety of the public is an essential aspect when assessing potential employees.

How Do Background Checks Help Prevent Fraud?

Background checks not only help with making informed decisions on hiring, but they also provide a valuable tool in preventing fraud. Conducting background checks is essential for businesses hiring people in positions that require handling a large sum of transactions or crucial client information. A candidate with a criminal history of fraud can seriously damage a business, its clients, and ultimately the economy. Reports indicate that fraud in the U.S. alone costs around $50 billion annually.

A good example of how a background check can prevent fraud involves a credit card company. During the recruitment process, a background check found that a candidate for a credit card company was previously convicted of a financial crime. The credit card company avoided hiring the candidate, saving the company millions in fraud and legal fees. And it’s not just businesses. Homeowners hiring contractors, for instance, can save themselves from scams and fraud by conducting background checks on their preferred contractors.

How Do Background Checks Protect Public Safety?

Protecting public safety is an essential factor when considering background checks. Jobs like caregivers, delivery drivers, or those who are in contact with vulnerable people like children or older adults, require thorough checks before employment. In such cases, where high risk is involved, a people-oriented background check that goes beyond criminal history is useful. Such background checks include social media profiling and evaluating their history of domestic abuse.

A real-life example of the importance of background checks in keeping the public safe occurred in 2018. An Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Michigan, had been charged with several violent crimes, including murder. He had passed Uber’s background check, but a more in-depth background check would have revealed his violent history, saving innocent lives. Such incidents emphasize the importance of thorough background checks, which go beyond just criminal history.

Conclusion

Background checks are essential in today’s society to prevent fraud and protect public safety by ensuring that the right people are hired for the right job, particularly in sensitive positions. Apart from institutions, individuals making hiring decisions should embrace the importance of thorough background checks for contractors and hired staff like nannies and handymen. Conducting a background check on potential employees or contractors not only provides vital information to help make informed decisions, but it also helps ensure your safety and security and that of those around you.