Does your company complete a background check only when you hire a new employee? Should you consider continuous screening of your employees during the year? Good questions all, and GroupOne Background Screening is here to assist.
Performing integrity and background screening is a necessary part of the hiring process. The more important the position and access to sensitive data, the more crucial the need for background screening. Many companies conduct their screening only when a person is hired, rather than throughout the entire tenure of an employee. This is where many companies have weaknesses in security risks.
Imagine saying, “I don’t need a check-up, my doctor said I was healthy five years ago.” The security of an organization is at risk when there is not persistent background screening of its staff. Just as health-related issues could pop up after a doctor report, security-related events can appear after an initial security screening.
Here are two reasons to consider continuous background screening:
• Liability: A common tactic used by attorneys suing companies is to identify if it was negligent in overseeing personnel’s security. It’s possible if a company does not conduct on-going background screenings, a claim could be made that the company was not conducting due diligence.
• Targets: Criminal organizations (trust us, they exist) recruit insiders to assist with criminal ventures. Recent indictments show how IT Infrastructures and Security Managers of an aerospace company were recruited to assist with the theft of intellectual property. This manager’s vulnerability could have been identified through continuous screening.
As part of your risk management, it is vital to consider implementing persistent background screenings. Under continuous screenings, you might be able to identify employees whose situations have changed, including new financial hardships and associations.
Each organization must decide which positions need persistent screening, and the extent to which screenings should occur. It is always a good idea for companies to start with a risk assessment to decide what is appropriate. If it is determined some of your organization’s positions would benefit from continuous screening, you must then determine policies and procedures.
Take care when determining how you will roll out the process. Always ensure you are not violating FCRA rules. Decide how your organization will obtain informed consent for continuous screening from your employees. Finally, you must also determine how you will handle refusals for consent to continuous screening.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at GroupOne should you have questions.