Obviously, we’re proponents of background checks for employees; after all, it’s our business to protect companies and those who work for them. But could a background check actually save lives? A recent story from Michigan sure supports that theory…
In a nutshell, a very routine background check uncovered what turned out to be a huge scam perpetrated by a gentleman who had passed him off as a PhD and MD for 15 years. In his position, he used his fake doctorate status to obtain grant monies and conduct research. Not one person had uncovered his deception. It took a relatively quick background check to expose his decade-and-a-half of lies.
To our knowledge, no one died from this man’s care, thankfully.
Could there be others out there passing themselves off as doctors, lawyers, psychologists, etc.? There’s little doubt. Yet a simple background check performed by a highly trained group of specialists can stop such subterfuge in its tracks.
The next time your business considers “saving money” by forgoing background screening for all new hires, think again. Your background check could literally save lives.
