The Importance Of Background Checks
Successful enterprises incorporate appropriate levels of security to protect the people, information and other assets associated with the business. While many folks know that some companies do “background checks” on potential employees, few understand what that entails. However, if you are to take your vetting, management, and security seriously, you need to know. Here is an introduction to the background information you can collect for those seeking entry to your property:
While potential employees are certainly candidates for a background check, so are current ones. Regular re-checking is strongly suggested to find existing problems that could impact your business. The employee might need intervention, reassignment or even dismissal, depending on the situation.
Plenty of other people will enter your buildings on a regular basis. You can make history checks part of the requirement for entering your facility. This includes many types of visitors, including vendors and volunteers. Though you cannot make requests for certain types of data for these folks, you can find out a lot.
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) has been around for more than half a century, tracking a plethora of criminal information along the way. Managed by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Service, the available data includes warrants, felony charges, and criminal history. While once a key source of data for employee background checks, it is not readily available to employers. Whether or not your business qualifies for these checks, you can still benefit from collecting other sources of data.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a lot more than ten names on the Most Wanted list. Though the top ones might get more attention in the media, the countless other people on the list need to resolve their legal woes. You certainly don’t want those who are guilty to access your facilities, and wrongly accused folks might not even know yet!
The Bureau of Industry and Security is another resource for background checks.
As part of the Department of Commerce, this government agency is responsible for certain aspects of national imports and exports. Data regarding foreign nationals can also be found via the Palestinian Legislative Council. Remember that the more data collected on a person, the more you can rest assured that your business is safe.
Additionally, you want to know if anyone seeking entry to your site is on the Specially Designated Nationals List. The list is not based on nationality. It includes individuals, groups and various entities believed to be unsafe. While terrorists are on the list, it includes drug traffickers and more. Though these people won’t show anything on a criminal background check in most instances, you certainly don’t want them roaming through your business.
The government requires people convicted of sex crimes to register as a sex offender. This data is available publicly so that people can take appropriate measures to protect themselves and their families. Business owners and managers need to make the same precautions with their employees, customers and others who might be on-site.
Many employers look for eviction history as well.
Someone with one or more evictions might pose a security risk. At the very least, it is an indicator of poor financial management or other struggles. While not necessarily reason to bar someone from the property, you should resolve the discussion to your satisfaction before granting access.
All of this data helps to form a historical picture of any illicit activities that might have involved the applicant. You can utilize this comprehensive background check for all employees, vendors and other visitors. In some instances, you might simply bar the person from accessing certain areas. Of course, this is often the case in the business world, where folks have limited access to the work of others.
A streamlined vetting system will begin with identification authentication. Once the initial background checks have gone through, you can schedule automatic re-checks and bar access when certain statuses change.
You have multiple options for granting access, starting with an identification badge system. Biometrics, such as iris and fingerprint scans, are also useful, particularly for areas with sensitive data or processes. Access can be customized based on the background information, position or other criteria. A high-quality system will allow for easy organization of this data, including real-time removal settings.
The process of performing background checks takes a minimal amount of time, yet can yield beneficial results. These forms of data can be an invaluable part of your security system.
