With all the hubbub these days about protecting our companies, our client, our clients’ information, etc., it’s interesting (and a bit shocking) to realize that many, many organizations don’t background screen new hires.

Below are the top 5 reasons (you could even say “excuses”) that we hear when we ask, “Why don’t you background screen on a regular basis?”  We’ve included our two cents, too…

(False) Reason #1:  Background Screening Is Expensive

This seems to be a “catch-all” statement that corporations make when they don’t want to do something.  “It’s expensive,” they say.  Then they go out and spend their monies on wooing a client with a $200 lunch. 

Now, there’s no reason not to woo that client; hey, that makes great business sense if a sale seems likely.  So why don’t they use that same mentality to apply to background screening?  After all, investing in new hires is very much like investing in potential clientele.

(False) Reason #2:  Background Screening Will Cause Us to Lose Applicants

Okay, now this could be true… but it’s usually not a problem. 

The people who would NOT apply because they know a company performs background checks are often the same individuals who would not pass a background screening.  Thus, the fact that they know what’s going to happen encourages them to self-select.

(False) Reason #3:  Background Screening Doesn’t Tell Us Everything

Okay… there’s some truth to this.  Background screening isn’t 100% infallible.  Sometimes, items can slip through the cracks… but it’s not very likely and we try as hard as we can to NEVER allow this to happen.  (And we have a terrific track record to back us up on this!)  

Besides, is that a reason to not do it at all?  It’s like saying that you shouldn’t bother to take a shower every day because you’re just going to get dirty…  It might hold a grain of truth, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

In part two of our series on 5 Reasons Employers Don’t Background Screen, we’ll tackle the last two statements we often hear…