COMMON EMPLOYER'S CONCERNS With all the advantages of a screening program many employers still have questions and concerns about implementing background checks. Given below are seven most common concerns that employers express: »  Is it legal? Employers have an absolute right to conduct lawful employment screening in order to hire the best-qualified candidate. The employer first obtains the applicants written consent to be screened in the firms job application form. »  Does it invade privacy? NO. Employer's can find out about only those things that an applicant has done in his "public life". eg. Checking records for criminal convictions, verifying with past employers and verification of educational qualifications. This does not invade a zone of personal privacy. Employers are looking only at information that is valid and non-discriminatory predictor, of future job performance. »  Is it cost effective? Employment screening will typically cost less then the cost compared to the damage one bad hire can cause. It is ironic, that some firms will spend hours shopping for a computer bargain, and at the same time try to save money by not adequately checking out a job applicant, which represents an enormous investment. »  Does it discourage good applicants? Employers who engage in screening do not find that good applicants are deterred. Job applicants have a desire to work with qualified and safe co-workers in a profitable environment. A good candidate understands that background screening is a sound business practice and is not an invasion of privacy or an intrusion. »  Does it delay hiring? NO. Background screening is normally done in a week's/10 days time. Most of the information needed is not stored in readily available databases, but must be obtained by going to past employers, educational institutes and different area police stations. Occasionally there can be delays that are out of any ones control, such as previous employers who will not return calls, schools and colleges that are closed for vacation, or a official in police station who needs to retrieve a record from storage. »  Is it difficult to implement? For an over burdened HR department handling numerous tasks, outsourcing background screening can be done very quickly and effectively. A qualified employment-screening firm can set up the entire program and provide all the information in a short period.