Background Screening & Hiring Challenges Post COVID 19 Background Screening Issues Post COVID
1) Court closures and modified hours will impact the turnaround time of background checks.
2) Set proper expectations with hiring managers, recruiting teams & applicants
3) Make sure your screening partner is reaching out and communicating regularly with your team (especially when courts reopen, like New Jersey recently)
4) If you decide not to screen applicants due to time and budget constraints
consider risk exposure, compliance issues and regulatory issues that can arise when your company is audited. Especially with so many out of the workforce. Application and resumes will be on the rise in the coming months. Make sure you are making the right hiring decision. “knowing” someone is not a substitute for ensuring your brand protection!
5) Applicants will likely be more anxious to start working especially if they were laid off or furloughed at the prior employer, so be sure your screening partner is making the applicant experience smooth and not creating any road blocks. Employment verifications are just as important as criminal searches in the new environment. Historically applicant’s have provided an inaccuracy rate of 52% on resumes and applications. Although verifications add cost and TAT, the benefits outweigh the negatives!
6) Because applicants will likely be signing employment agreement documents remotely be sure your screening company has an electronic app to gain authorizes and disclosures from an applicant because paper forms might not be an option. Ensure those electronic documents are up to date and provide the applicant with everything they are granted per the FCRA. Talk with legal counsel when onboarding applicants in another state and ensure all proper laws are being followed.
7) Social Media Screening – in Post COVID 19 times the activities of current and prospective employees on social media can be extremely detrimental. Implementing a social media screening policy is something to evaluate.
Alternatives to consider:
Run a database type search and the re-screen in 6 or 12 months and include county level court searches.
