Importance of Employment Screening During the Holidays

With Christmas right around the corner, businesses will start looking to hire temporary employees. Seasonal hiring is essential for businesses during peak seasons, especially for retail stores and shipping agencies such as UPS or FedEx. Because of how busy this time of the year can be, a lot of companies in the past have chosen not to go through their normal hiring process. This includes background checks, criminal record checks, and pre-employment drug testing. However, more businesses are starting to realize the importance of employment screening for seasonal hires.

Protecting Your Business

The purpose of employment screening is to make sure that no one you hire will be a detriment to your company or its employees. That purpose should never be overlooked, especially during the holidays when seasonal hires are a huge part of many companies. These seasonal employees are as vital to your company as your full-time employees are, so there is no reason not to give them the same thorough background check.

Employees often times have access to sensitive company information including financials. Without a proper background check, you can’t be sure if the employee you hired is trustworthy with all of your financial information. Worse case scenario is that you hire a seasonal employee who is looking to scam you in some way to get a quick and easy payout. Employment screening can look into the background of each candidate to ensure that they do not have a history of such behavior.

You can’t forget about your loyal full-time employees either. Are the seasonal employees you hire putting your full-time team members at risk of theft or even violence? Employment screening includes background checks and criminal record checks. This gives you peace of mind, knowing the candidate you’re hiring does not have a history of theft or violence. Proper criminal record checks will make sure you and your employees are safe.

Confirm Their Qualifications

Another important aspect of employment screening is confirming that all certifications, licenses, education, and employment history are true. Exaggerating certain qualifications on a resume is not uncommon. You want to make sure that the qualified person you think you are hiring is the person who will actually show up to work every day.

Without employment screening, you run the risk of hiring someone who has no idea what they are doing. For instance, a retail store may hire an extra salesperson during the holidays only to find out that they have zero people skills and couldn’t make a sale to save their life. Now you’re in the middle of your busiest time of year with a salesperson who is just getting in the way. This not only means you have to look for a new candidate to hire, but you have also driven away potential customers with an inexperienced employee. In the end, the unqualified employee wasted more of your time and money then a proper background check would have.

Social Media Screening

Over the past 10 years, social media has become a powerful tool for employers looking to research potential employees. While a resume tells you all the formal qualifications including education and employment history, social media can give you an insight into who the candidate is as a person.  

A big part of hiring an employee is seeing if they would fit into your company culture. Do they have a personality that will mesh well with your current team? Do they have a wide range of interests that makes them a well-rounded individual? Do they present themselves in a professional manner? All of these questions can be answered simply by taking a look at a candidate’s social media profiles.

Not only do you want to see how a candidate presents himself or herself online, you want to see what other people post about the potential employee. You can tell a lot about a person’s character by how they are treated and seen by their peers. If you go a candidate’s Facebook page and see an outpouring of love and compliments, it’s a good indication that you are adding a quality employee to your organization.

Employment Screening is Crucial For Seasonal Hiring

The holidays are a busy time of year. You need to make sure that all of your employees are qualified on a professional and personal level. Employment screening will ensure that your company is properly staffed to handle the increased business that comes with the holiday season. South and Associates can help with all of your investigative needs. We have the skills and resources required to conduct thorough background checks on all of your employees. Get ready for the holiday season and start investigating today.