Is it the employer?  The potential employee?  The school?  The school would-be volunteer?  The nanny?  The parents of the kids the nanny will be watching? 

In a nutshell, the answer is a bit convoluted because it depends.

Most employers pay for background checks themselves.  They simply consider it a cost of doing business and an insurance policy against making terrible hiring decisions.  However, there are some companies that are moving to making the possible employee pay for his or her background check; we’d suggest looking into the legality of doing so depending upon your field.

As for nonprofit organizations, a good deal require that potential volunteers pay for their own background checks.  That way, the entity doesn’t have to use funds to do so, and they ensure that any volunteers really want to be there since they’ve already used their own monies for clearances and background screening.

At this point, we’d really like to know your thoughts on the subject…

Have you ever paid for a background check to be performed on you?  Would you?  Conversely, have you ever made someone pay to have a background check report run on him or her?

Many schools have begun adopting a policy that only allows adults to volunteer if they can pass a basic background screening.  Typically, these types of background screenings check criminal histories (e.g., sex crimes, drug problems) and, if the volunteer position involves handling money, credit histories as well.

If the parents do not pass, the school is left with no choice but to deny them the opportunity to volunteer.

While there are certainly some groups that feel it’s “unfair” to use background screenings in this manner, we believe that it’s a great way to protect children from would-be predators.  Without background screening measures in place, the unthinkable can (and, unfortunately, sometimes does) occur.  And no school can afford that.

In the end, it’s better for everyone… even if it does ruffle a few feathers along the way.

Yes, we’re in the background screening business, so perhaps it seems as if we’re not unbiased; however, the reason we’re in the background screening business is because we understand just how complex putting together a comprehensive background screening report can be!

Why are do-it-yourself background screening measures so time consuming?  Check out these reasons:

• You’ll have to sift through pages and pages of Google query answers to get even tiny bits of information. 
• You’ll have to figure out what’s important… and what isn’t… when you finally get data.
• You’ll still have to pay for something along the way.
• You’ll have to find a way to verify the information you’ve gotten is accurate.  (The Internet is filled with misinformation and untruths.)
• You’ll have to put all your information into a report form.

Sound easy to you?  It’s not… but it is fast and convenient for us because we have the tools in place to streamline the system!

Don’t waste time spinning your wheels when you can do more productive things.  Outsource when it comes to background screening.  It just makes business sense… not to mention “cents”.

So how can you ready yourself or your team for the inevitable person’s ire?  Plan a statement in advance and make sure anyone who needs to use it has access to it.  It could be as simple as:  “Our background screening measures have been put into place to maintain the safety of our workers/volunteers/kids/clients/etc.  We stand by our decision to make choices based, in whole or part, on the results of background screening.”  (Note:  Your legal consultant and/or HR manager can help you with any specific verbiage you need to include depending upon your industry.)

Does this mean that the person who was offended by your background screening measures will suddenly change his or her mind?  Probably not.  But it will allow you to professionally address a concern in a calm manner.

The problem is that many moms and dads equate “trust” with “going with gut instincts”.  Instead of thoroughly background checking someone who will be watching their youngsters, they go with one or more of the following criteria:

a.  Whether or not they “like” the babysitter.

b.  How much the babysitter charges.

c.  How available the babysitter is.

d.  Whether they are satisfied with the babysitter’s references.

While these are all great criteria, they aren’t fallible because they don’t answer the bigger question:  Does this babysitter have anything on his/her record that parents should know about?

Now, a 12-year-old babysitter probably isn’t going to have a criminal record, of course.  But a college student or other adult could indeed have a past that would make a parent not want him or her to be in charge of any kids.

The good news is that it’s not impossible to get a thorough background check on potential babysitters and nannies.   So don’t leave anything up to chance.  Get the best, most reliable ’sitter you can find.

Unfortunately, many background screening report providers will happily sell you unnecessary plans; however, that doesn’t help your bottom line, nor does it maximize your efficiency.  Instead of just “winging it”, we encourage you to take this quick assessment. 

It will reveal what background screening measures are needed based on each individual position at your company.  Not only is a remarkable tool for understanding what you need (and, more importantly, what you don’t), but it helps save you money in the process.

Though there’s no reason not to background check your employees, that doesn’t mean that all positions are created equal.  So do your homework and be wise about your allocation of dollars.  You’ll be glad you were prudent!

Having someone with a criminal record on staff can be quite hazardous to your organization’s reputation in a number of ways:

1.  The person may have criminal tendencies that he/she could pursue under your employ.

2.  If word gets around the office that you hired someone with a criminal past, you could lose the corporate culture you’ve striven to build.  You could even lose solid employees who are concerned about their new co-worker.

3.  If word gets out to your clients or vendors, you might find yourself in a bad place.  People just naturally hesitate to deal with those who have spent time in prison or been in trouble with the law. 

Certainly, some states — notably Illinois and Massachusetts — are now trying to make it illegal for private and public businesses to conduct criminal background checks on applicants.  In our estimation, while that may seem “fair” to the employee, it isn’t in the best interest of the employer.  After all, that employer should be able to make decisions based on all the facts.

While it’s an interesting question, we’d have to say that the ultimate answer is “yes”. 

Why?  Check out these three big reasons:

→ Any employee is YOUR organization’s employee.  So if he/she does something and it hits the press, your company will be associated with the criminal activity.

→ The employee may someday be promoted.  And background checks aren’t usually performed every time someone receives a promotion.  In the end, you could wind up with a supervisor or manager who shouldn’t be in his/her role because of a past record.

→ Just because you think the worker will not have access to certain things doesn’t mean that’s the case.  Never underestimate someone who wants to do something.  Human ingenuity can be used for both good and nefarious purposes.

Our ultimate recommendation for businesses of all sizes?  Always background check everyone before bringing them on… or risk the consequences.

If it seems too outrageous to even consider that a crossing guard could be anything but sweet and protective, think again.  Any person can apply to any job… including a person who has a criminal record.  And if they aren’t screened, those individuals could easily have access to kids.

So what is a parent to do?  First of all, any mom or dad should ask about crossing guards — who employs them, whether they are background checked,  etc.  If they haven’t been screened, parents should demand to know why.  And if they have, parents should definitely make it a point to meet the crossing guards if at all possible.

Above all else, it’s a safety precaution… and our children deserve to be safe.

In the state of Connecticut, a Hartford Distributors employee, Omar Thornton, shot 8 people before killing himself.  As the shock of this horrific event has begun to subside, people are starting to ask the question — was comprehensive background screening conducted when Thornton was hired?

Though no information has been released as of the writing of this post in terms of how (or whether) Hartford Distributors conducts background checks on potential employees, it is definitely the right inquiry to make… albeit too late for Thornton’s victims.  For instance, did Thornton have a past history of problems with co-workers?  Did he have a criminal record?  Was there something that could have been a “red flag” on his record?

Obviously, the most important part of the story isn’t background screening; it’s the lives that were needlessly stolen.  But chances are good that in the days that follow, many thoughts will be raised and Hartford Distributors will have to answer.

Our thoughts go out to all the victims’ families and friends.