When a company is hiring for a position, they are going to receive many applications. The company will have to state the job description so that qualified applicants can submit their application. The company will then have to go through all these applications and pick out several for an interview. This gives the company the ability to make an educated guess when making its final decision.

However, an important part of the whole process is to run a background check before making the final decision. Here are some of the best reasons why a company should run a background check.

1. Criminal History

Perhaps the most important reason employers run a background check is to look for any criminal history. This will allow the employer the ability to check if the charges are minor or otherwise. The applicant may have had charges against them that would deem them as unreliable, dangerous and untrustworthy, so they would not be considered a suitable candidate.

For minor charges, these may be outdated, small or even irrelevant in the context of the job. However, a would-be employer does need to know one way or another.

2. Other Infractions

Apart from criminal history, a background check can highlight other infractions that may have an impact on their ability for the position. It may show their credit history or their driving records. While these two examples may not have any relevance for many positions, if the position advertised involved handling money or driving as part of their duties, then it immediately takes on a huge significance.

3. Avoiding Liability

If you do not conduct a background check and there’s a problem that occurs, the company could be held responsible. For example, if you hired someone as a driver and they get involved in a major accident as a result of being intoxicated, they are going to be arrested by the police. It later comes out that this person was arrested for three previous DUIs.

Since you did not do a background check and went ahead and hired this driver, the company will be held liable for the accident. You should consult with an employment lawyer for your next steps and best approach in this scenario.

4. Keeping Everyone Safe

Unless you do a thorough background check, you have no idea if the person you are hiring is a murderer, a sex offender or has committed other crimes. If you hired such a person and this person assaulted a co-worker, or if they looked for information on a customer, went to their home on a “business” pretext, the customer may let the person in, thinking it has something to do with their recent purchase.

Your employee can proceed to rape or even murder this customer. These things can happen and are not far-fetched at all. Again, like the driver scenario, the company will be responsible and get into trouble, so make sure to run a check, as this will keep co-workers and customers safe.

The good thing about doing these employment background checks is that it helps the company ensure that the right candidate has been chosen at the first time of asking. For those who are responsible for making the final decision, it can give peace of mind knowing that the person hired is trustworthy and that there will be no expensive surprises.