96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire, 3rd Edition

22.

Background Checks

Many employers who consider using background investigation firms think only of liability protection. Courts have ruled that companies have a general duty to check criminal records for prospective employees who interface with the public or who could have an opportunity to commit a violent crime while in the course of their employment. After all, damages against employers are being awarded where the company was deemed negligent because it failed to perform a reasonable search into an employee’s background prior to hiring. Therefore, a background check is seen as a simple way to minimize the exposure of a wrongful-hire or wrongful-retention lawsuit.

That’s certainly a valid reason to employ background investigation firms. Here’s ...