17 Common Hiring Mistakes: Part 3
3. Not Checking The Candidate’s Background For Criminal Activity
Companies have varing policies on hiring an employee with a criminal background. But no one likes to be surprised in this area. Besides revealing past criminal activity, DUI’s and other alcohol related offenses can expose potential alcoholism.
Anyone who decides to hire a person with a criminal record should do so knowingly and with the approval of any other interested party, such as their Human Resources Department. Certainly it is laudable to give a person a second chance. Just make sure that everyone who has responsibility for the possible consequences of this action has agreed to it.
Background checks, like drug testing, are priced depending on the depth of data required. They can be as simple as a State criminal check, which costs about $15 or as complex as a full FBI Security Clearance. The minimum is the State test. If the person has lived in more than one state, you may want to check each of these.
Besides the obvious threat of theft and harm to co-workers, there is also the real threat of arson. Just a few months ago a business down the street from us burned to the ground. It did not take the police long to locate the perpetrator, an employee with a drug problem and criminal past. He was looking for money to buy drugs and decided to hide his tracks with a fire. No one says criminals are smart!
