The awareness and importance of screening backgrounds is growing at a rapid pace due to the surge in crime and fraudulent cases, across various sectors and designations. Background screening is still seen by some companies as an additional and unnecessary expense, since it isn’t a mandate in India. When it comes to hiring a new employee ,there are a number of expenses involved in the process, from recruiting to training and salary. We all know, 'time is money 'and the time spent on reviewing resumes, conducting interviews and other related tasks, are just the tip of the iceberg. The return value of background checks are intangible but this doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.

The goal of hiring should n’t be to simply fill an empty position as quickly as possible, rather, focus on a candidate’s experience and long term success within the organization. An offer letter or induction of a new employee is n't the end of the process, as the employers need to continue to track the quality of the hire. A comprehensive background check typically costs less than 1% of your hiring expense and helps ensure the quality of talent. Here are a few reasons why background screening should be considered an investment rather than an expense:

1.Helps Improve the Quality of the Hire
Talent acquisition is an expensive and time consuming process that every company needs to undertake. Studiess how a consistent rise in the number of candidates falsifying their experience, education and other aspects in their resumes, making it difficult to find candidates that are qualified and honest. The Q1 trends report by First Advantage,found discrepancies in 10.7%

of the cases verified with 59% being related to employment and6.1% related to education. A comprehensive back ground screening process helps reduce these risks and weed out candidates that are not fit for the organization, there by,improving the quality of the workforce.

A background check can not only ensure that the employees hired are qualified and are a right fit for your firm, but also examines court records to ensure that your new hire hasn’t been involved in any illegitimate activities in the past, there by, improving safety in the workplace environment

2. Reduces Employee Turn over
When employees leave an organization within a short span of time, it triggers the process of finding and training a suitable replacement, which means additional expenditure and loss of productivity. In addition to the hiring and training costs, an organization also has to bear the expenses of the off- boarding process. An inclusive screening, identity and information solutions give employers access to actionable i n f o r m a t i o n ,which results in faster, more accurate people decisions and a lower turn over rate

3. Reduces the Risk of Negligent Hiring
Chances of a negligent hire are significantly higher, when background screening is n't carried out, resulting in unnecessary losses. A Negligent hire is defined as a claim made by an injured party against an employer based on the theory that the employer knew or should have known about the employee's background which, if known, indicates a dangerous or untrust worthy character. In layman terms, it is an incident that occurs because an employer has n’t done his due diligence which could have saved the organization from being entangled in expensive law suits that could damage its reputation.

4. Improved Workplace Safety and Security
A background check can not only ensure that the employees hired are qualified and are a right fit for your firm, but also examines court records to ensure that your new hire hasn’t been involved in any illegitimate activities in the past, thereby, improving safety in the workplace environment. These are just a few ways in which a background check can benefit a firm. An initial investment in back ground checks with a trusted partner, helps reduce costs, improve quality of the workforce and boosts reputation in the long run. Employees are a companies’ most critical asset and it is important to find the right person for the right role, which can be simplified with organizations such as, First Advantage, Auth bridge, KPMG, AIM Screening, etc. In conclusion, Background screening is a risk mitigating tool, which helps employers make informed decisions while hiring and the value it provides significantly outweighs its cost.