Pre- vs. Post-Employment Background Checks

A company is nothing without its employees, so it is important to make sure that everyone on your team is both qualified and capable. This is why you should carefully consider your employee screening process. By conducting pre- and post-employment background checks, you help ensure that the people you hire are—and remain—the quality candidates your company wants.

What are Pre- and Post-Employment Background Checks?

The biggest difference between pre- and post-employment background checks is, of course, the timing. A pre-employment background check usually takes place at the point an employment offer is made, but prior to the candidate starting employment. Best practices suggest that a conditional offer should be made before the screening process begins. Either way, pre-employment checks occur before a candidate starts work. Post-employment background checks, however, occur after an employee has started work and are ongoing throughout their time with the company.

Benefits of Pre-Employment Screening

Pre-employment background checks are far more common, and employers often rely on them to ensure that they are hiring the best candidates for their company. These checks can show more than just criminal and legal history: some screening services investigate employment history, education, driving records, and more. These background checks are important because they help employers make informed hiring decisions.

Hiring the wrong candidate can do more than just waste your time and resources; it puts your customers and employees at risk, and it can seriously damage your company’s reputation. Even without a red flag in a criminal background check, a candidate may lie or be misleading about the qualifications on their resume. That kind of employee is not one you want dealing with your clients and representing your business.

Benefits of Post-Employment Screening

Unlike a pre-employment check, post-employment screening services investigate current employees’ backgrounds. These regular reviews help maintain the same standards you require for new employees. Even when you hire good people, things can still happen during their employment tenure. If you don’t know about it, those issues are more likely to harm your company in the future. Conducting customized background checks keeps your employees safe and accountable throughout the time they work for you. This means you can rest assured that your business is represented by the same great people you initially hired.

Both types of background checks are beneficial to you and your company. Making sure your business is the best it can be starts with having the right employees. Take care of your company—and your employees—by implementing pre- and post-employment screening services.