Is your organization looking for new employees in Buffalo, NY? Are you debating whether to run criminal record searches before hiring? Here’s why screening should be an automatic part of your pre-employment process.

1. Keep Everyone Safer

Businesses have a duty to protect their employees, customers, vendors and the public. In everyday life, we assume we can trust a ridesharing driver, a real estate agent, our child’s teacher and our co-workers. However, if these individuals are not properly vetted, they can put anyone at risk. Recent tragedies have included a timber company truck driver who killed a man in a traffic accident and a contractor who murdered a customer and set fire to her home. In both cases, the organizations involved did not perform adequate background checks.

2. Avoid Negligent Hiring Claims

There are no federal laws requiring background checks, and state and industry regulations vary. For many occupations, including healthcare, education and delivery services, screenings make sense. However, any organization can be responsible for an incident if they should have known an employee was dangerous, violent, untrustworthy or unsuitable for the job. Even when not technically required, background checks are part of due diligence.

3. Reduce Theft

According to a 2017 report, employee theft costs U.S. businesses $50 billion each year. Although criminal record searches and credit reports are a standard practice for the financial industry, theft can impact any type of business. Employees may steal from inventory, skim cash or misuse company accounts. Knowing a potential hire has a history of criminal behavior could save your organization thousands of dollars.

4. Hire Right the First Time

Obviously, your organization wants to employee the best people. A criminal background search is an important piece of the puzzle when evaluating an individual’s integrity. Are they an upstanding citizen? Or, if they do have a record, are they willing to be honest and up front about their past? Pre-employment checks allow you to answer these questions before you hire, rather than discovering you need to replace the wrong person weeks, months or years later.

5. Protect Your Brand

A single incident can seriously damage any organization’s reputation. Show your commitment to both your employees and your customers by following comprehensive screening procedures. Make sure you know who you are inviting to join your team!

Are You Interested in Running Criminal Record Searches in Buffalo, NY?

Metrodata Services is Western New York’s leading pre-employment screening service. We can help you make the best possible hiring decisions while staying compliant with federal, state and local hiring laws. Contact us today to learn more!