Employment Application and Background Check

Employment Application and Background Check

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Introduction

        Currently, it is necessary to conduct a pre-employment background check since, majority of job applicants exaggerate or make false claims especially on their job applications and CV/resume as well as covering previous criminal records.

Does the application provide sufficient information to conduct a background investigation?

An application should provide adequate information to allow for a simplified background check. It is critical for the company to prepare an Application Packet in the employment process. The information provided by the candidate will be subject to thorough verification so as to judge the job candidate’s qualification to the advertised position (Gerlach, 2011).  

Any misleading, false, or incomplete can serve as a basis for elimination or disqualification. The application packet can contain several forms or sections inclusive but not limited to waiver of liability and release of information section, employment application, credit information, drug-screen consent section, and job description. As well as background investigation acknowledgment, education waiver, and unemployment verification form (Gallagher, 2009).

What waivers does the application contain?

Prospective employees might seek to safeguard some information that might otherwise disqualify them from being employed. Hence, due diligence is necessary to make sure only suitable candidates are employed and retained (Brody, 2010). The waivers included in the application packet to allow the potential employee to irreversibly agree and support any background check, not to sue the organization or authorized representative conducting the background check, and not to sue third parties for providing information related to him/her. The employee expressively waives all the legal rights despite the violation or infringement of his/her rights (Schwartz, 2015).

Is the same application used for all positions?

Organization has a legal and moral obligation to determine the suitability of an employee beyond reasonable doubt. The organization can use a generic application packet to seek information from all employees entering the organization (Gardner, 2010). A standardized format helps in coding and analyzing information in a similar fashion for all employees. Minor additions can be included especially when recruiting top executives and middle managers because of sensitivity of their positions.

What revisions would you make to the application?

I will seek to ensure the application packet adheres to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act provisions especially touching on formerly convicted candidates. I will ensure that the application packet provides an individual assessment related to the job as much as possible to determine suitability.

2. Answer the following questions regarding the organization’s background-check policies and procedures:

What checks are conducted?

It is the moral and/or legal obligation of the employer to provide a healthy and safer work environment for its employees and knowing if prospective employees are prior negative records either dishonesty or criminal activity like substance or drug abuse, theft, reckless behavior, violent or dangerous behavior; this allows the employer to better determine if the candidate is a potential threat or suitable for the work environment and/or the job is paramount (Gerlach, 2011). This can only be determined through background checks or investigation. Additionally, there are rising cases of negligent hiring litigations thus employers no longer use instincts to hire. Secondly, current social ills like child abductions and child abuse, terrorism acts, corporate scandals, inflated/false details, and legislations have forced employers to do background checks to screen employees thoroughly before hiring (Brody, 2010). The information age has also simplified the process because of the many online databases, professional and social networking cites where employers can easily access information regarding a candidate and compare to what he or she has provided (Weitzner, 2011).