There are few aspects of HR workflows that haven’t been impacted by the ongoing health pandemic, COVID-19, and pre-employment background checks are no exception. Courts and other facilities for accessing public records have been closed, and laboratories for drug-testing have been too, or at the very least, been very hard to get access to.
Below are just some of the challenges that employers continue to face for pre-employment screening:
Court records – where you’re located makes a difference
In some states, courts are open for fulfilling public-record search requests, whereas in others, they’re not, so a manager’s ability to screen potential employees often depends upon where they’re located.
While some courts are open only for online searches, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the information gained by background check vendors to be both complete and up-to-date, and without the necessary verifications by a court official, some information obtained online may not be.
Verifying work and education credentials
With many managers and school officials unavailable or more concerned and occupied with other things, verifying an individuals’ work history and educational credentials, may also be tricky. Should a job candidate submit documents to an employer, they could easily be falsified, and as authenticating them may not currently be possible, they should not be taken at their face value.
Pre-screening drug tests
While many laboratories are open and conducting employment screening, candidates may be reluctant to visit the lab due to the risk of contracting COVID-19, and in-person visits are few and far between. Currently, employers must choose whether to forgo the test if not in a regulated industry where they may be mandatory.
So, if screening isn’t available, should employers simply stop it?
Some organizations aren’t in a position to halt the hiring of new employees, but if pre-employment background checks are part of their normal hiring process, should they stop them altogether?
Well, yes, employers can take this decision until things get back to some semblance of normality, but this can leave their existing workers, property and customers unprotected and vulnerable, and if an employee isn’t screened and a problem comes up later, a negligent-hiring lawsuit could ensue.
One alternative option for employers needing to hire at the moment, is to prioritize certain types of checks, and eliminate those that may not be quite so important. In general, the verifications required involving employment and education take longer to perform, so companies may choose to forego these in favor of criminal-history or sex offender checks.
If you’re looking to hire new employees and are unable to fulfil all of your normal screening requirements, consider what’s most important to your company and the industry you’re in, and place your focus on those. For more detailed advice and guidance related to pre-employment background checks, seek help from a professional payroll provider with a screening service.