Employers increasingly utilizing pre-employment screening as a safe hiring tool

In 2004, a survey published by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) showed that 82% of the respondents performed some degree of screening, up from 66% in a 1996 survey.

The most utilized screening tools were criminal records and past employment verification. The screening results most likely to eliminate an applicant from further consideration were falsification of employment history, criminal convictions relevant to the job, falsification of educational history, and failure to be truthful about a past criminal conviction. Poor credit and workers’ compensation history were the least likely factors to be used.

The bottom line for employers: pre-employment screening is an essential part of an employer’s duty of care towards others and part of an obligation to exercise due diligence.