A lengthy employment screening procedure that involves police checks might be tedious but necessary. Choosing who to hire and who to trust is a huge decision to make. It is crucial that you make the right decision before you hire someone and have them access your business. Many companies have rules and procedures in place to help streamline the hiring process and discover the best candidate.
What is Police Check?
It’s important to know what a police check is. It is a legal process to find out about someone’s police history in the past. This includes their past crimes and other information from police records. This information is crucial to identify whether or not the person is considered a red flag for the company’s security.
Making the appropriate hiring decision requires a background investigation of potential new employees. Many employers use the police check service to determine security risks. A police check can be required for pre-employment screening to eliminate any hazard or threat to any company due to the reasons mentioned below.
Identity Verification
A police check shows that the person applying for a job is who they say they are. The applicant must show proof of identity and personal information, as well as a photo ID for cross-checking. This process not only protects the person from identity theft and fraud, but it also shows the employer or company that the applicant’s information is correct. This is called a background check.
Safety and Security
Pre-employment screening should prioritize security. In some industries, failing to obtain a person’s police background could jeopardize their safety. The job’s level of risk varies but a more thorough investigation is necessary if the applicant wants to work with children or vulnerable adults or the job involves handling money.
Higher Standard Recruitment
To make sure that the people hired are professionals, police background checks are done during the hiring process. It is a sign of professionalism for a company to do a police check on potential employees. Screening is a good way to make sure that only the best people get hired.
What Companies Require Police Checks?
Depending on the industry and the company, not all new employees are required to get a Police Check. Having one is only a requirement for many businesses that work with the public and in places where people get care. The industries that often need a criminal background check include healthcare, community service, child care, education, government, defence, and banking and finance.
Any person applying for a job is not legally required to give up information about their police record. However, if the job requirements say that a police check is needed, the candidate must be transparent with the employer about any criminal information they have on their record, especially for the jobs listed above.