S&T Series: Conduct Proper Background Checks, Tips to Prevent Negligent Hiring

Once employers go through screening résumés and interviewing candidates, they narrow the list of candidates to those they believe will be a good fit.  One of the final pieces most employers include as part of their hiring process is to conduct a background check, which can be a valuable way to discover relevant information about the candidates.

Some of the information discovered may further indicate whether a candidate would be a good fit for the job. On the other hand, an employer may discover that an applicant is not qualified.  Conducting background checks also helps employers protect themselves from claims of negligent hiring, an ever-growing group of lawsuits facing companies.

Webinar highlights

To help businesses understand the legal do’s and don’ts in conducting proper background checks, as well as tips on best practices to avoid negligent hiring, the Pennsylvania Chamber presents top labor and employment law attorney, Vincent Candiello. He will explain:

• What is considered a background check: criminal r
  ecords, financial records and more
• Can employers use social media and Internet sites to conduct background checks, and how to use the information
• What you must tell applicants concerning background checks: that you will conduct one, that you will be looking at their social media sites, the findings and more
• How a company may use the information they find from a background check; how to protect this information
• Proper steps to follow if you turn down a candidate because of what you found in the background check
• Best practices to prevent negligent hiring

The speaker will open up the last few minutes of the webinar to answer questions from participants.