Every company wants to hire the best person for any given job; one who will flourish in their company and help the company grow. Human resources (HR) is responsible for vetting the best candidates. For this, pre-employment checks are very useful in sifting the best candidates for the job on hand.
Bad hires happen, but background checks can help reduce such occurrences and find reliable and efficient employees. Here’s how HR can conduct background checks for prospective employees and how digital tools like Countersign can expedite the entire process.
What should you look for in employment background checks?
A standard background check verifies the information stated in a person’s application form:
- Name
- Academic background
- Employment history
- Government-issued licenses
Most of this information can be verified through public and private databases.
Social Media Accounts
Some companies will look into prospective employees’ social media accounts to gauge their personalities. However, HR needs to remain unbiased when doing background checks on social media.
Criminal Background
Companies want to ensure that a workplace is a safe place for everybody, which is why most companies will check the applicant’s criminal history, if applicable. HR has to determine whether an applicant is a registered sex offender, has been convicted of a crime, or is on probation.
However, HR must also be mindful of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidelines against workplace discrimination.
References
When HR has aptly screened the candidates and evaluated and verified their information and credentials, the next step is to talk to the references on record. It is essential to learn about each applicant’s work ethic and attitudes and assess whether they are a good fit with the company’s values.
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How Countersign helps complete background checks quickly
Conducting background checks can be daunting and time-consuming, but with a bit of digital help, things could run much more smoothly.
Countersign is a contract and e-signature management software that can provide seamless office workflow. It can help HR conduct background checks, onboarding, and eventual work monitoring.
So, how does Countersign help with employment background checks?
1. Simplifies template creation
HR hires people regularly, especially in large companies. Having templates of various forms saved can be very convenient as you can easily send them out to applicants. For example, having uniform application forms for all job applicants can help you easily compare credentials.
For background checks, HR needs to ask for permission from the applicants using a consent form. With Countersign, you can create a template requesting permission to conduct a background check by following these simple steps:
- Create a template
In this case, we’ll turn a consent form that seeks permission to conduct a background check into a template. It should enumerate items covered by the inquiry. - Upload template
Upload the template on Countersign. You can use PDF or Word documents for the template. Countersign also accepts JPEG and PNG documents. - Add custom fields
Provide a space for the applicant’s signature. - Send
Send the form to the applicants for signature.
HR only needs to create the template once. Once saved in the system, you can send it to the applicant whenever necessary.
2. Convenience in Getting E-signature for Consent Form
Countersign makes the process extremely convenient as the applicant doesn’t need an account to sign the consent form. The applicant can also e-sign the document on whatever device they are using, be it a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, using their finger, mouse, stylus or even select a predefined font that they feel represents them best.
3. Easy Filing of Forms
When you receive the forms back from multiple applicants, they are securely stored withing Countersign’s digital filing system. As soon as you need a specific file, you can easily access the document from anywhere at anytime.
4. Quick Turnaround Time
The faster you can get the forms for the background check, the sooner you can start the process. Countersign can helps with efficiency and speed. If the applicants can sign and send back the permission forms immediately, the entire process can be completed within minutes.
Countersign sets the tone for an efficient HR system
Apart from using Countersign for expediting background checks, you can use it for other HR processes. Countersign can provide efficiency in the onboarding process of new hires and subsequent monitoring.
It’s also a good idea to continue with employment background checks. Just because they have been vetted during the hiring process doesn’t mean they will be ideal candidates throughout their employment term.
No matter how many documents you process on Countersign, all documents are saved securely. Countersign uses the strongest security infrastructure to ensure that your documents are kept private and safe.
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