If you’re like many business owners and/or hiring managers, you’re probably already highly familiar with the usual employment red flags that routinely crop up when you perform background checks on potential hires. Nonetheless, some employment red flags are a deeper shade of red than others.
Following are five major employment red flags that you may need to give a red light to hiring certain applicants.
Professional References That Don’t Ring True
Those without good professional references often find ways to fake them. For instance, they may list a friend or relative who agrees to misrepresent the relationship, so pay close attention to the workplaces listed in the background check. If references aren’t from these places, that may signify that the applicant is attempting to pull something over on you.
Discrepancies in Education
Background checks will also show what schools a person attended and when as well as what certifications and professional licenses they hold. You should always check the education history listed in the applicant’s resume against what it says on the background check and run a professional license check.
Discrepancies in Employment History
Many hiring managers and business owners consider gaps in employment to be big employment red flags, but that’s not necessarily the case — economic ups and downs during the past couple of decades have caused many people to experience job market difficulties. However, watch out for resume red flags. Discrepancies in employment histories between the background check and the applicant’s resume are employment red flags that they’re trying to hide something.
Consistently Bad Credit
Most potential employers pay very little attention to an applicant’s credit history unless the position involves the direct handling of company funds. Unexpected medical bills or other life circumstances often result in temporary financial setbacks that can negatively affect someone’s credit rating. Looking out for a fairly long history of substandard credit could indicate issues such as substance abuse or problems with impulse control that are undesirable traits in employees that handle money directly.
Omissions of Criminal History
Those with criminal histories often face obstacles securing employment, and a criminal record doesn’t necessarily have to put an applicant at the bottom of the list. Nonetheless, caution must be taken — for instance, if you hire someone who is a registered sex offender, you could be held liable if that commits a sexual crime against another employee or customer.
The important thing to keep in mind here is that the information on the applicant’s resume should closely match the information turned up by the background check. A few minor errors don’t need to take someone out of the running, but you should definitely keep an eye out for employment red flags including blatant discrepancies and obvious misinformation. Please feel free to contact us today for more information about criminal background checks on potential hires or read more about background check red flags.
Disclaimer: The information on InstantCriminalChecks.com is governed by our Terms of Use and is never intended as legal advice.
