We are taught by our parents and teachers as we grow up, to never allow our eyes to focus on the past. It’s a good philosophical mindset to have to never dwell on what happens in life for too long. As ever in life, there will be circumstances that make you think about this twice. Questioning this choice is only natural as life comes at you fast and from angles, you can’t see or plan for. At some point a straw is going to break the camel’s back, and you will logically need to decide whether that ethos works for all parts of your life. Business is built around people not on top. There’s no way a business can be successful if it is willing to accept any kind of person into its folds. In that sense, it doesn’t make sense to forget the past because what has previously happened is good information. Good information is knowledge and knowledge is power. People are what allows your business to exist. The dedicated and talented workers who are willing to give you their all so that together you may enjoy the fruits of success are the life and soul of the business. But these traits only become available to you after you’ve hired them. So is it right to do background checks on potential hirings before you hand them the employee contract?
Job history leaves breadcrumbs
There are three types of people that will leap out from their records to show you who they really are when you study their job history. A job history is exactly how it sounds; it’s a basic record of their previous employment which you can use to make a firm decision about who to hire. The first kind you’ll see, and they are easily spotted are the job hoppers. These kinds of people will have short employments with various different companies. They don’t stay in one place for very long, and this could be for a variety of personal reasons. They may be looking for the right kind of job that will give them the right trajectory to achieving their aims. It could also be that they are simply moving around from place to place trying to find the right place to settle down for the long term.
The second type of person you’ll see is the specialist. They will only be in roles that are specific in nature such as a programmer, team leader, graphic designer, etc. it’s not that they have a lack of skills, but they just want to specialize in one area that maybe gives them the most joy or desired pay scale. Thirdly you’ll see the advancer, this someone who has visibly climbed up the ranks. Starting at an unknown company in a junior position, they will have worked their way up gradually taking on more and more responsibility. This is the most common type of person you’re likely to see as it’s only logical that much of the global workforce has had to progress up the ladder to where they are now.
Is ability the only thing that should matter?
It’s the gospel truth that businesses live and die based on the gap between ability and vision. If this gap gets wider and wider, you will be separated from your goals and lose sight of the reason you started your business. Not having the staff with the correct abilities means this will eventually come to fruition. But should we as business owners solely search for people with the best skills? The secret ingredient to betting on a golden goose is analyzing their temperament. Ever heard of the term ‘crazy genius’? Just because someone is smart and they possess skills that no one else can match, doesn’t mean they’re going to be the clear-cut choice for the future employee. The tried and trusted method of weeding out the bad eggs from the good, is to conduct an interview phase. This was you meet face to face, and you can decide based on the answers they give to your questions how well they would fit your business.
Yet you shouldn’t be too hasty in this regard, booking them to come down for an interview is done for one reason only. It’s done to get information so with it; you can choose the best of the bunch. Before you write them an email or phone them to invite them in, do consider DBS checks for employers. DBS was previously the Criminal Records Bureau (CBS) its now Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It’s a service that employers use to make background checks on potential employees. You can see if they have any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. The record of the individual should be considered up-to-date by anyone who views it as there is no expiry date for it. Some of the offenses can be struck off after 5-6 years, but some others remain on the record. Sexual assaults, drug offenses regarding supply, safeguarding, and serious offenses regarding violence will not be filtered. Doing this kind of check on any resume and application, you’re interested in will already tell you whether or not you want that kind of person in your business. Everyone should be held to the same standards, so think carefully before you potentially employ someone with criminal tendencies.
A second chance
You never know what a person has gone through and what effect certain moments in his or her life has changed them. If you feel that their resume checks out and you like how they have turned their life around since their conviction, it’s always potentially rewarding to give them a second chance. Conduct an over-the-phone interview and be direct. Openly talk to them about their past criminal offenses and see whether or not you’re convinced by their temperament that they have turned a corner.
Do you need to do an employee check? Not if you don’t care who works for you. For the majority of people, we like to know just what kind of person we are letting into our business which means so much to us. Better safe than sorry.
