When sex offender, Te Rito Henry Miki was sentenced to four years in jail in 2012, it was a wakeup call for all employers in New Zealand. The case, and its sordid details, was an indication of just how crucialemployment screening is. Since 2010, Miki had been under a supervision order, designed to prevent him from interacting with vulnerable children who might become his victims. It all started in 2004 when Miki was convicted of sexual assault involving his fourteen-year-old nephew.
But despite his deeply worrying criminal history and the 2010 supervision order, he was able to find work in six schools. In the court proceedings, it was revealed that he used a fake birth certificate and CV to hide his true identity, thus managing to cover up his deviant past through a series of employments. The worst part of it all was that he was working around children with the potential of turning them into his next victims.
The Importance of Employment Checks
Robust background checks by employers would have easily prevented the above situation, helping ensure the safety of children in these schools. While most job applicants will not have a past as shady as Miki’s, caution should still be your number one priority. Put in place a policy stating that no job offers should be made to potential employees until comprehensive background checks are completed. Why go to all this hustle? Here are 5 big reasons.
1. Protecting your business
A single bad apple in your company can wreak unimaginable havoc. Down the line, they will cost your business a lot of money when you have to repair any damage they have caused. There is also the additional hustle and costs of looking for another employee all over again. An employment check is not expensive but it saves your business a lot of money.
By conducting a thorough background check, you are ensuring that the individual is fit to work in your company and that all provided information checks out. Knowing an individual’s background also helps you understand the person’s strengths, weaknesses and potential. You can use this information to make sure they provide the best value to your organisation.
2. Protecting your employees
It is not just your business that needs protecting, your employees need it too. Imagine if you employed a convicted criminal who had yet to resolve his deviant ways. This puts your employees at great risk of things like violence, theft and even sexual assault.
This is not to say that all convicted criminals should be denied an opportunity to make a living. But it really helps to know the kind of person you are letting into your organisation. If you put your employees at harm by not conducting a proper employment check, you could be held liable.
3. Staying on the right side of the law
Failing to conduct a background check on potential hires is a serious blunder. So serious that it could place you on the wrong side of the law. As mentioned above, the employer could be held liable for negligent hiring where a thorough background check was not performed. Things can get even messier if you work with vulnerable individuals such as kids and the elderly.
Being taken to court will cost you a lot of money and time and could even spell doom for your business. All this negative publicity is also not good for your sales. Save yourself this headache by adhering to comprehensive employment checks on each and every potential recruit who comes through your doors.
4. Getting the right fit
Having the right fit of employees goes a long way in ensuring maximum productivity, continued work cohesion and a good work environment. All three aspects are indispensable in the survival and growth of your organization.
While an applicant will submit information-packed documents, they many not tell the whole story. A good background check will cover things like previous employments, authenticity of submitted references and criminal records. A wrong fit can send your entire business into a tailspin, threatening your growth and survival.
You are better of spending a little money on a background check rather than waste a whole lot more trying to do damage control to your business.
Doing it Right
It is not just enough to conduct an employment check, you need to do it right. Make sure you follow the law and common ethics in carrying out these checks. For example, according to the Privacy Act 1993, employers are required to get a written consent from prospective employees before conducting a criminal history check NZ.
The first step is to hire the right company to conduct the background check. Us here at Employrite, we have years of experience helping employers build the best teams for their organisations. From the top executives to the low ranked secretary, we understand the important of making sure every single person is the light fit for the company. If you are looking for the best experience in the industry, we are here to help.
Hiring the right service ensures that the checks are as thorough as possible. Experienced personnel know what to look for when conducting an employment check. They can see through any lies and deception and uncover the truth. Hiring the right company means more protection for yourself, your business and your employees. It is not an expense but rather an investment in the growth and future of your organisation.
Employrite goes as far back as 1985 when background checks on prospective employees was still a novelty. Soon, we discovered that conducting these checks drastically reduced incidences of workplace theft, fraud and general misconduct.
Today, after more than three decades in the business, we know better than anyone else of the importance of employment checks. We have developed our pre employment checks NZ to be comprehensive and strategic. Our experts, a considerable number of whom have experience in conducting investigations, know exactly where to look and what to look for.
Do not risk your company’s future by letting the wrong people in. Let us help you ensure that only the right fits get into your organization. Visit our website at www.employrite.com to see more about our services. When there, also check out what our clients have to say and give us a call.