Hiring a new employee is a regular part of running a business. But whether you’re a start-up taking on your very first member of staff, or an established enterprise with recruiting experience behind you, there are some key factors that you need to check before finalizing the process and welcoming your new hire on board.
Use the handy guide below as a checklist to make sure you cover all the bases every time.
The Value of the Hire
Before even beginning the recruitment process, think carefully about the value that the new role will bring to your organization and set this against the expense of the hire. This is especially important for new or small businesses.
Start by assessing the true cost of taking on a new member of staff. This doesn’t just include their salary; factor in the additional office space and equipment that may be needed, as well as the time cost to you in terms of training, etc. If this will be your first employee, think, too, about the tax implications and about the nature of any regulations that having employees may require you to abide by.
Next, offset this against the benefit that the planned member of staff will bring to your enterprise: what is the projected revenue you expect them to generate; how could they save your business money? Also, if the new hire will reduce the workload, you currently bear, then consider this, too, as part of your decision about whether or not to begin the recruitment process. Ultimately, keep in mind the key question: what problem do you need to be solved, and how will the hire be a solution?
Background checks can also be used to discover whether the individual has a criminal record or is on the sex offender registry. For information on what you can expect to see in a report, visit South Carolina background checks.
Complete a Background Check
Once you have a potential employee in mind, it’s really important to conduct a background check before finalizing the hire. These checks can ensure that the individual is who they say they are by providing you with information that can confirm details such as their address and contact details. Background checks can also be used to discover whether the individual has a criminal record or is on the sex offender registry.
Have a look here for more information on the top10 background checks to see a range of options; some services will even scour the dark web and social platforms, as well as checking education records and for any aliases used to give you peace of mind that your potential recruit is the sort of person that you want working in your business.
When choosing a background checker, though, be sure to read the small print carefully: some background checks cannot legally be used as part of the recruitment process.
Consider a Credit Check
Credit checks are being increasingly used by companies as part of the screening process to get an idea of applicants’ financial awareness and money management skills. In certain roles, a poor credit score could be a warning sign, although it’s important to be aware that there may well be mitigating circumstances behind it, and so disqualifying a potential employee purely on this account could be unnecessary.
Instead, if a credit check reveals a poor score, it may allow you to broach this with the applicant to find out the possible reasons behind it as part of the recruitment process.
International Background Check
If you’re aware that the applicant has lived or worked abroad for an extended period, then you may also want to consider conducting an international background check to verify their identity as well as other information they may have provided in their resume or application form.
With an international pre-employment background check, you can obtain information about the individual’s foreign employment and education, as well as details on any criminal offenses committed while abroad. The documents that you’ll need to submit to run these checks depend on the country the applicant has spent time in, so check the requirements carefully.
Explore Driving Records
Particularly relevant if the potential new hire will be required to regularly drive as part of their role, a driving records check could be a good idea.
This type of check is also useful for making sure that the applicant has an active commercial driver’s license, which is a crucial requirement for some driving roles.
A Perfect Match for Your Business
Once all the checks necessary have been undertaken, you’re ready to hire! A key part of selecting the right person will come down to how well their personality, ethics, and style of working mesh with your business; sometimes, an individual who looks great on paper may simply not align with your goals and vision for your company.
Making the interview process as comfortable one as possible, and giving the applicants scope to express their personalities, is a good way of trying to gauge how well each individual is likely to fit into your existing team and endorse the ethos of your company.
The right hire can add an inordinate amount of value to your business, so it’s important to make the time to carry out the relevant checks to ensure you get the perfect person for the role.
