THE IMPORTANCE  OF BACKGROUND CHECKS ON POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES: HIRE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES

Conducting a background check on a potential employee is considered an important part of a hiring process. Background checks offer comprehensive reviews and reveal important information about potential employees so you can be able to make sound hiring decisions. A transparent background check process can help to protect a company’s reputation. Employers may be held accountable for their employees’ misconduct if they failed to follow proper background check procedures to identify and prevent potential risks prior to making an employment offer. Basic pre-employment screening for applicants include authentication of education documents, past employment verification, reference check, pre-employment drug test and criminal history record check.

IMPORTANCE OF BACKGROUND CHECKS

There are many specific reasons as to why companies choose to conduct background checks before offering employment to an individual. Background checks can help you make the best hiring decision as well as ensure that your company and employees are protected.

Here are some other reasons as to why your company might need to conduct comprehensive background checks before hiring potential employees:

1. Reduces harassment and violence in the workplace.

Employers are legally and morally expected to provide a safe work environment for their employees. Performing a background check will ensure that your workplace safety is not compromised because you will be able to identify, uncover and prevent any potential risk that could be brought into the workforce. A background check will reveal whether a potential employee is dishonest, violent or has any criminal records. This information will help employers to make sound hiring decisions that will protect the company and the employees.
Maintains high quality applications.

An applicant who is dishonest or is trying to conceal some important information will most likely avoid applying for a job that needs a detailed background check. Employers who implement consistent background check policies will notice a significant improvement in the hiring process. Setting specific hiring standards will help you attract high quality applicants and you will also be able to make smart hiring decisions faster.

1. Helps in the verification of a candidate’s qualifications and employment record.

It is important to review and verify that your applicants have received the right educational credentials. Background checks can help you discover or detect discrepancies in an applicant’s cv/resume. You also need to contact references to verify an applicant’s qualifications and past employment history. The details that you get from performing an educational background check will help you determine whether the applicant is qualified.

1. Reduces employee turnover.

Background checks will lower the rate of employee turnover in your company. You will be in a position to make great hiring decisions that involve on-boarding competent and honest employees. This means that your company will not face certain situations like employees constantly leaving or encouraging others to leave.

1. Improves regulatory compliance.

Hiring a third party background check service provider that is familiar with regulatory compliance can help you come up with a great background screening policy that aligns with the necessary legal requirements.

1. Reduces the possibility of negligent hiring.

Negligent hiring happens when an employer hires someone who has a questionable past that might involve criminal acts or illegalities and this individual ends up harming other employees or clients. If an employee is found guilty of misconduct, an employer can be held accountable and sued for failing to exercise due diligence in the hiring process. To protect your company from negligent hiring lawsuits, it is critical to ensure that you hire the right candidate for the job. The best way to find out if a potential candidate is worth hiring or not is through performing a consistent and comprehensive background check.

CHOOSE THE BEST BACKGROUND CHECK SERVICES FOR YOUR COMPANY

Employers can either conduct background checks on their own or outsource the services from companies that assist with background checks for candidates. Engaging a third-party professional in background checks or hiring a background check company to handle and conduct background checks on your potential candidates will save your company time and resources. If you clearly know your needs and understand the evolution of employee background checks, you are in a good position to choose the best service provider or company to manage your background checks.

Due to the high levels of unemployment in Kenya and people’s desperation to get a job, potential candidates might exaggerate their qualifications or even provide false information during the hiring process. It is therefore important to perform a thorough and transparent background check on a potential employee to avoid negligent hiring.

Brites Management Services offers the best background check services in Kenya. We perform extensive background checks and provide you with accurate and up to date background check reports. At Brites Management Services, we have a qualified team of specialists in background screening who will thoroughly verify a candidate's information, offer additional information on a candidate, check any integrity or malpractices and provide you with a comprehensive report that will help you in shortlisting and interviewing the right candidate.

Our screening processes are tried and tested to ensure that we provide our clients with impartial information on an applicant’s background. Our background check process includes:

Collecting required documents

We collect CVs, certificates, PCC and ID copies from employers. At Brites Management Services, we make sure that we have all the required documents of an applicant before starting the background check process.  

Phone contact

We make phone contact with referees, former employers and institutions of learning to get initial information about potential candidates.

Background check form 

Brites sends background checks forms to the referees, former employers and institutions of learning to get detailed information about the candidates.

Physical visits

Our team visits an applicant’s former employers and institutions of learning to deliver forms, have certificates verified and verify employment history.

Collecting the background check forms 

We collect the background check forms for reviews and to get solid evidence for verbal information.

Conducting criminal record check

We conduct a background check with the Criminal Investigative Department-Kenya verbally and via a background check form. We also check the validity of an applicant’s certificate of good conduct. 

Verifying the information provided

Our team checks the given information against the CVs and certificates to make sure that the information given is accurate before compiling a report. 

Compile data and report

Once we are done with verification, we compile a comprehensive report that will be used for presentation.

Reporting and recommendations

Brites will give a comprehensive report on the background checks done that will help you make a sound decision on whether a candidate is worth hiring.

If you are looking for the best background checks company in Kenya or if you need your potential employees checked please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on +254 780 869782.