Companies often hire potential candidates blindly and, unfortunately, pay unwelcome consequences. When hiring an employee based solely on what is indicated on their resume or job application, you are hiring considered to be hiring “blindly.” In other words, when you make your hiring decision, you are relying that the word of the job applicant is honest. Considering that up to 47% of applicants either lie or exaggerate on their resume or job application in one form or another, it is not recommended to make a hiring decision based only on what a candidate tells you.

Smart employers know that before they hire they need to verify all the information provided by an employee. This will help prevent problems down the road. They also understand that it is their duty to verify information to make sure they don’t become part of a “negligent hiring” lawsuit.

Screening an employee is one of the most cost effective ways to avoid hiring unfit or unethical employees. The cost of an employment background screen is relatively cheap and the results are easy to measure. When inconsistencies or lies are revealed during a background screen, an employer can readily see the benefits of the employee screening compared to the potential expenses that type of employee could cost their company in the long run.

Hiring a pre-employment background screening firm is easy and relatively affordable. While there are several firms available, it is important to hire a firm, such as AccuScreen.com that has the experience and resources to provide accurate and up to date information on potential employees.

There are many benefits of screening employees during the hiring stage. When an employer is pro-active in hiring employees and conducts an employee background screening they can help themselves avoid issues such as resume fraud, identity theft, employee theft, employees with criminal backgrounds and employees with substance abuse problems. These issues must be discussed in order to fully understand their impact on a company.

Resume fraud is a common issue that many employers cannot catch with a background check. This type of fraud can include minor embellishments all the way to flat out lies. Inflated titles, fake education and bogus degrees are all common exaggerations. Lies about education can happen from entry level to executive level positions. Recently, two senior level employees resigned from their positions at Radio Shack and MIT after it was discovered that they had lied about their educational background on their job applications.

Some unfit employees will also busy themselves in identity theft. They misuse their position in a company to gain confidential information for their own personal gain. For example, credit card and social security number theft is common and is a serious offence. This information is then used to purchase items and open fraudulent accounts. Employee theft is also common and usually involves the theft of property or cash, but can also include the removal or use of confidential or sensitive information such as intellectual property.

Applicants who have serious criminal backgrounds often avoid applying to companies that pre-screen employees. Some do take their chance and hope that their criminal background is not discovered. When conducting employee background checks it is best to include a criminal records search just in case. The last thing an employer and other employees need is a new employee with violent or dangerous tendencies. Similarly, companies often hope to identify substance abuse problems in potential employees before they are hired. Drug tests are sometimes mandatory in some organizations, but it is a good idea for all companies to include a drug test as part of the employee background screen. Unfortunately, many problems in the workplace are associated with substance abuse and can include absenteeism, theft, identity theft and violence. It is best to clear the air and identify these problems before a candidate is hired.