Most companies make use of a pre-employment check system before hiring new employees, but companies that handle sensitive information should be especially cautious when hiring new people. There are many reasons why it is helpful to do background checks before hiring.
Looking at someone's resume is the first step in getting to know the employee. It can give you an overview of the person's background, but it is difficult to tell what information is accurate.
There are many background check companies available to assist businesses in completing this process. Before choosing a pre-employment screening service, watch out as many background check websites that offer their services are not a consumer reporting agency, which means that you are unable to use their website for reasons created by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Although background screening is becoming more and more important in the modern digital age, there are still some limitations to it.
As so many companies are securing sensitive information on servers in house, employees have access to this information via remote connections to the server. This opens the doorway to potential insider threats.
Understand the Limitations of Background Screening
While necessary, there are some limitations to background screening during the pre-employment process. That’s why companies should develop a threat prevention program to ensure the highest security standards.
Protection
These types of programs should include a reliable pre-employment background check. Also, continuous identity checks will prevent future threats. Hiring a new employee can be an arduous and expensive process but if an employee steals sensitive information, your losses will be greater than the initial investment cost of a thorough background check.
Criminal History
One limitation of initial employment checks is that they only consider criminal history. While checking the criminal background of a potential new hire is essential, it is not the only thing to consider.
Credit Check
Part of any thorough threat prevention program should include a financial background check. Many companies store customer information on databases. This data typically includes credit card information, identity information, and other sensitive data types.
If you were to discover that a potential employee has a history of financial distress, such as filing for bankruptcy or repossession claims, then you may want to be cautious when hiring them, especially if they are expected to handle sensitive financial data.
Preventing Insider Threats Going Forward
To combat the limitations of initial background screening processes, every company should set up continuous identity checks throughout the employee's contract. An employee is much less likely to commit a crime if they know that they are being monitored.
These continuous checks should include a financial and criminal history report. In case an employee has had recent developments in their life that could pose a threat to your company.
It is recommended to set up a system within your company to secure data and traffic to remote servers as much as possible. Your IT personnel can assist in preventing unwanted traffic and restricting sensitive data access.
Understanding Legal Rights
One major tip for businesses is to ensure that they understand the legal rights of everyone in the company. If businesses understand the key elements of legal rights, they can help keep the business and employees protected.
When putting a pre-employment screening in place, be sure that you are not violating any laws under the Equal Opportunity Employment Act.
To sum up, insider threats are more of a prominent possibility than ever before. By implementing a sound background check process, businesses can better assess threats inside and out.
