In today's fast-paced and complex society, background checks have become increasingly essential for ensuring safety and preventing fraud. They have become a vital tool for businesses and organizations to protect themselves, their employees, and customers from potential harm. In this article, we will explore why background checks are so important in today's society and how they can prevent fraud and protect public safety.
Protecting Against Fraud
In any business, it's essential to know who you're doing business with. This is particularly true when it comes to hiring employees. Background checks help to verify that potential employees are who they say they are and have the experience and credentials they claim to have. This is especially important in industries such as finance and healthcare, where individuals with access to personal information may be more likely to commit fraud or identity theft.
As an example, consider the case of Wells Fargo, where unauthorized accounts were opened using customer information. Such a situation could have been avoided if background checks were conducted during the hiring process. It is critical to adopt a proactive approach by verifying the information provided by job seekers to prevent fraud and protect businesses from liability issues.
Protecting Public Safety
Background checks are not just limited to job applicants. They are essential for any organization that deals with the public. For instance, schools and daycare centers are increasingly recognizing the importance of running criminal background checks on their staff and volunteers. This is because they want to ensure that their children are safe and protected from potential harm.
Similarly, when hiring for a medical facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, it is essential to ensure that employees have the proper training and credentials. As an illustration, when a nurse with a criminal record was hired by Baptist Home in Missouri and ultimately killed a resident, the nursing home was held liable because it failed to conduct a proper background check.
Background checks are also necessary for hiring for positions in law enforcement, security, and other industries that require trusted personnel. In these positions, it is critical to ensure that the personnel is free from criminal history, drug abuse, and other such disorders that could impair their judgment or affect their ability to perform their duties.
Moreover, with the emergence of new technologies such as social media and personal data-sharing devices, it has become more critical to screen applicants for any red flags that could breach the security of critical data. Background checks are pertinent in the process of hiring personnel for sensitive positions as they can help prevent data breaches, cyberbullying, and identity theft.
Preventing Discrimination
Another important aspect of background checks is that they help prevent discrimination in the hiring process. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has provided guidelines that restrict companies from using criminal records in their hiring process if it could lead to discrimination against a particular group. By taking a nuanced approach to background checks, employers can ensure that they are not relying excessively on criminal records during the hiring process.
Moreover, background checks can help employers to avoid hiring people who have been convicted in the past but have served their time. Employers need to consider the nature of the past offense and the kind of work being performed when interpreting past criminal records' relevance.
Conclusion
In today's society, the importance of background checks cannot be overemphasized. As cyber crimes and identity theft continue to rise, background checks are becoming increasingly essential to protect both businesses and individuals. Through background checks, employers can protect themselves from potential liabilities and ensure a safe environment for both employees and customers.
However, it is important to ensure that background checks adhere to regulations and are conducted in a non-discriminatory manner. Through these practices, employers can find the best candidate for the job and contribute to the public good while safeguarding their businesses.
