How Does a Background Check Verify Employment?

One of the most important things for an employer to verify when recruiting new employees is their employment history. Many employers have started to recognize this which is why they hire private investigators to perform background checks. It's important for employers to hire private investigators to perform these background checks, not just to gauge how the employees will perform on the job but to avoid liability in case something goes wrong in the future.

There are many reasons why employers may want a private investigator background check including:

• To avoid liability in case the employee's actions endanger others in the future
• To ascertain that all the information in the resume is accurate
• The background check might be a government requirement e.g. a military contractor
• The job may require someone without a criminal record etc.

When a private investigator performs an employment background check, there's a lot of information that can come up. However, this is usually restricted by the specifics of the investigations and legal factors e.g. the right to privacy. Some employers will only require a basic background check when hiring someone.

However, others will require a lot more details from the background check such as:

• Medical records e.g. for jobs that require physical exertion
• Enhanced criminal background checks
• Mental health records e.g. for jobs in military agencies etc.

Employment background checks are important to employers for legal reasons and also for the security of the organization. An unverified employee might have a criminal history or criminal acquaintances and end up stealing from you or worse. If they have a history of violent crimes, they may pose a real danger to you and other employees in your organization. Additionally, if you failed to perform a background check or if you hired an employee despite what an investigator's background check revealed and there is an incident, affected parties can sue you for negligence.