You want to develop a pool of productive employees to improve your business, but hiring people with skills and competence is not enough. You also want to know that the person you are hiring is honest, trustworthy and compatible with your company's culture. Courts have held employers liable when they failed to investigate an employee's background and the employee later committed a crime or endangered the welfare of others while on the job. Gagnon notes, for example, that proposed federal legislation would require nursing-home operators to check the criminal backgrounds of all prospective employees because of the vulnerable population they serve. What to check A basic pre-employment screening should include verification of information on an applicant's resume, including education credentials, previous employers, length of employment, job titles, salary history and job descriptions.
Many employers do more, especially when a job involves handling money or dealing with the public.
For example, if you have 15 or more employees, the ADA prohibits you from looking into an applicant's medical history, including workers' compensation claims. Drug testing Fischer says you can save yourself time and effort by asking applicants to verify some of their own data. He also points out that Connecticut law requires employers to release personnel information to employees and former employees who request it. Asking applicants to provide copies of performance reviews or other information from their personnel folders can avoid the stonewalling commonly encountered when prospective employers do reference checks. Former employers often are unable or unwilling to divulge certain information.