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An article written by a screening expert suggests employers in India have endured many unfortunate incidents due to a lack of background checks.

Incidents In India

Ajay Trehan, a background screening expert based in India, wrote an article that stated it is essential for every employer to have a comprehensive background screening policy. In this article, he said numerous employers cause themselves needless harm because they do not run comprehensive background checks on job seekers. He suggested this problem is especially prominent in the retail and startup sectors because those businesses are constantly looking for new employees.

Unfortunately, the author points out, many employers have been victimized by fraud and inappropriate behavior from their staff. This can occur when credentials are not checked, identities are not verified and criminal searches are not run. He also suggests that employers have been subjected to “the crisis of a lack of trust” based primarily on the contents of an individual’s resume. Failure to verify the contents of a resume can lead to businesses hiring people who are not properly qualified or eligible. This can further lead to existing employees and customers losing faith in your brand.

Background Screening Suggestions

Trehan recommends employers take advantage of useful background check components, including:

Identity Verification. This is also commonly known as a Social Security Number Trace. It is used to confirm an individual’s identity, which helps ensure that additional searches are conducted on the correct person.
Employment Verification. This is used to verify a person held a position they listed on their resume. It can also confirm a person’s work history, employment dates and more.
Education Verification. This is used to verify a person’s educational history. It can confirm schools attended, degrees earned and other relevant facts.
Criminal Searches. There are a variety of searches that can be conducted to show employers if someone has reportable convictions on a county, state, national or federal level.
Drug Screening. While this option is only used for certain types of employment, the author recommended it as a useful tool for employers in India and any business that needs to know if a candidate will test positive for illegal substances.

Privacy Concerns

The author touched on potential concerns regarding the privacy of job seekers. He advised that this is a non-issue because background checks are only run after the subject provides authorization. Therefore, the person being screened is aware that information about them will be reviewed in connection to a job search.

Employers based in America have access to candidates from all over the world. It is important to note, however, that many countries have their own privacy laws which must be followed. By working with legal counsel to create compliant background screening policies, employers can expand the scope of their searches while taking steps to ensure each person’s privacy is fully protected.

Takeaway For Employers

Trehan closed his article by summing up that background checks are a critical tool for every HR division. He noted that a proper screening process saves employers time and money. Not screening applicants can lead to bad hires, which can be costly. Without background checks, an employer may spend time and money to onboard an individual - and later discover they were not qualified. Then they suffer a costly loss and must start the process again. The author also suggested that hiring a person who has a serious conviction could create an unnecessary risk for your brand, current staff and customers.

At Background Online, we consider background checks to be an essential part of every employer’s due diligence process. They can help you find the best people for your team and prevent some of the unfortunate incidents employers in India are experiencing. If you would like to learn more about how background checks can help your business, please contact us. Our experienced staff is available to help you Monday through Friday from 5am to 6pm PT.