GSE Blogs

• Tue, 12 Aug, 2014
• GSE, Publications

Global Pre-Employment Screening Practice in SME's

Pre-employment screening has become a compulsory and a must to exercise in several business entities. It is basically the exercise that involves variety of checks which employers carry out before offering a job to a candidate while hiring. The exercise not only gives the employer a candidate’s behavior but also the performance. In addition, a solid and consistent pre-employment screening that is done appropriately gives a potential candidate who is fit and with experience as stated on the resume.

Pre-Employment screening is thus a crucial exercise that Small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s) ought to carry out intensively. The exercise is significantly required because SME’s are upcoming or rather starting business entities that should not risk business safety to fraudulent employees on account that they of failing to implement pre-employment screening and checks during the employment of new employees. This exercise hence therefore determines the level of prosperity of a given SME’s i.e. an entity that will employ pre-employment screening is likely to enjoy high chances of prosperity and success; lack of the exercise will expose a business entity to greater risks that will negatively affect its operation leading to collapsing.

Small to Medium Enterprises ought to recruit and train individuals that they are confident with and whom they trust since it is through confidence and trust that an entity can safeguard itself against fraud and disaster. Through pre-employment screening, SME’s will instill trust and confidence that comes from hiring correct candidates. It can be a rather expensive mistake to accept a new employee in SME’s without carrying out pre-employment screening and background checks or vetting. SME’s require varying pre-employment screening; depends on the nature of the business carried out by the SME’s and the level of position being hired for in the SME’s. It is thus prudent for the SME’s to outsource the pre-employment screening services from professional providers who will advise accordingly on which pre-employment screening to be carried out. Amongst the pre-employment screening that a SME’s ought to carry ought includes: Detailed reference check, employment history validation, identity & address documentation, qualification validation, credit checks, directorship checks, public domain search, Drug & alcohol screening, garda vetting, international criminal reports, compliance management, contactor vetting and tenant vetting among others.

SME’s that employ pre-employment screening exercises accrues measurable benefits as compared to those that neglects this exercise. First, the SME will have fewer bad hire. This will minimize management headache and also save on money. Second, the exercise reduces to significant level the costs associated with employee theft. In addition to these, SME’s that employs pre-employment screening creates a safer workplace via minimizing work disruption as well as increasing morale of currently employed employees on presumption that the company will employ candidates with good track record. On the other hand, this exercise eliminates interview bias, enhances selection of honest and productive candidates, offers SME protection from negligence hiring litigation and faster recruiting time. CV fraud, employment costs, thefts, violence and other employee non-violent behavior are minimized via pre-employment screening.

According to the US commerce chamber, 30% of small business failure is associated with employee theft. SMEs can control this failure by developing appropriate pre-employment exercise during employment. Larger business units are able to survive from employment risks via pre-employment screening; SMEs are not an exception and need to entirely rely on pre-employment screening to evade potential risks.