5 checks that you should be performing on candidates before you hire them
It is estimated that last year, close to 10% of qualifications submitted to potential employers could not be verified. Even more concerning is that approximately 10 out of every 100 job seekers are not truthful about their qualifications.
The single biggest threat to any company is its employees
Machiavellian behaviour can impact a company or tarnish its reputation with devastating results. So why take the risk? By implementing rigorous background screening policies, you can largely avoid the risk of the “bad hire”.
Here are the most effective pre-employment screening tools available.
1. Criminal record checks
The first check you should do on a potential new employee is a criminal record check.
Remember to hire a reputable agency to do this. Otherwise, the results you get might be skewed and you could possibly reject a perfect candidate because, for example, the check found that he previously engaged in criminal activities when he actually didn’t.
Do an identity book check and a finger print check. Remember that only relying on one could be misleading because, for example, many people in South Africa are operating with false ID books. This means that if the person has a false ID book, but he’s committed a crime, he’ll show up as having a clean criminal record – when really he doesn’t.
But take note that checking finger prints is a costly exercise so only check finger prints if you absolutely need to.
I recommend that you always check every new candidate for criminal records or pending court appearances.
These types of checks usually cost between:
- R60 and R80 per ID number check; and
- R700 to R 900 per fingerprint scan or check.
If you find a record that has a criminal background, request the full details from the vendor performing the verification. Before you reject a candidate for having a criminal record, keep in mind that the criminal act he has a record for may have been for a minor incident going back years and this may actually have no real bearing on the position you want to hire him for.
2. Credit checks
Use credit checks to assist you with profiling a candidate. This is the most important step in the process because when a candidate’s credit check shows he has a history of poor payments, loans or blacklistings, he’s not good with handling money. So if the job that you want to hire him for involves handling money, he might be tempted to help himself as he is probably short of funds.
Credit checks are relatively cost effective, coming in at about R80 per check. A word of warning though: The Credit Bureau’s information is not always accurate and sometimes their data is outdated. So make sure that you get other information to back this up.
3. Driver’s licence checks
Obviously, these checks are non-negotiable when you need to employ or place a driver. Your vendor should be able to verify your applicant’s driver’s licence in about 48 hours.
A word of warning to those of you who employ forklift drivers: Remember that people need to be licensed to operate a forklift. Unfortunately, in our experience many of the forklift drivers we vet have purchased their licences or created false ones.
Verifying a driver’s licence costs between R90 and R120. Verifying the driver’s licences of forklift drivers costs about R140 per check.
4. Educational qualifications
Fortunately, South Africa has one of the most comprehensive qualifications registries in the world, thanks largely to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The body has developed a national database of learners’ records and the cost per check of this database is about R70.
5. Reference checks
Reference checks are the most commonly-used tool for screening. However, very few people actually know who they are talking to. As a rule of thumb, don’t put too much emphasis on references that only have a cellphone number. Rather try and get company names and speak to the highest-ranking person there.
Screening is a critical component of the hiring process, and should not be done in a half-hearted manner. Your company’s future could hinge on your next hiring decision.
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Author: Kyle Condon is the MD at D&K Management Consultants, which is an Investigations & Risk Consultancy. |
