Background Screening and Employees – Let Them Know ASAP

If you’re an employer who is going to start implementing background checks and screening across the board at your company, it’s best to let your employees know about the changes as soon as possible.  Even if you’re “grandfathering” those who are already working for your company and only conducting background checks on new workers (or, more specifically, potentially new workers), you still need to be open.

Employees often complain that their employers “never tell them anything”, and if one of them hears about background screening from any other entity than you or your designated representative, rumors will likely spread quickly.

“Do you know why they’re starting background checks?” 

“I don’t… but Ted told me he thought that it had something to do with Jane repeatedly calling off sick last April… remember?” 

“Yeah, I do!  Could that mean they suspect something?”

“I think so… Jane might be in big trouble!”

Although you cannot conduct your business based on what might happen (as in the case of office gossip) you still need to head off possible concerns before they become too widespread.

Just call a meeting and explain to your employees that background checks will now be a part of your corporate policy.  (If you have a very large company, you may be able to accomplish this by sending out a mass email, though this could be seen as too impersonal.)

Whatever you do, don’t keep employees in the dark until the last second.  Explain that you’ve made the decision and get it out in the open.  That’s the best way to maintain transparency in business.

Kristina Taylor
In 1989, Kristina began her career as a customer service representative at the newly formed American Tenant Screen, Inc. Ten years later, she pioneered tenant background screening on the Internet. As a long-standing member of the National Multifamily Resident Information Council (formerly the National Association of Screening Agencies) Kristina gains insight into the trends of the tenant screening industry to better understand the current and future needs of their clients.

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