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The Most Commonly Used Canadian Background Checks, Who’s Using Them and Why
Canadian background checks are increasingly becoming a standard piece of due diligence for employers. That’s because Canadian background checks enable organizations to hire with confidence. And as the technology to perform background checks becomes more efficient, it only makes sense to take advantage.
Here are some of the most commonly used Canadian background checks and why various sectors may leverage them.
A criminal background check shows a person’s convictions, arrest warrants, outstanding charges, and other criminal records.
Four million Canadians have a criminal record. And while that shouldn’t automatically disqualify them from a job, employers need to know if an applicant’s past convictions are relevant to their potential duties.
For instance, employers in healthcare should check whether an applicant has a history of antisocial crime.
Credit check verifications provide a snapshot of a candidate’s financial behaviour by revealing their financial status, credit rating, reported bankruptcies, collections, liens, and more.
A whopping 95 per cent of businesses deal with some form of employee theft. And the two most common red flags often associated with employee theft include living beyond their means and financial difficulties.
It should come as no surprise then that employers in the finance sector often use credit checks.
In a survey of 300 hiring managers and business owners, respondents identified education as one of the most common areas candidates lie. Most often, job seekers will claim to have obtained a degree before they’ve completed the program.
Education history verifications verify attendance dates, degrees and licenses obtained, and institutions attended to confirm the candidate has the knowledge, skill set, and certification required for the role.
In a competitive field like IT, organizations can’t afford to spend money onboarding under-qualified candidates, so an education history verification is vital.
One of the hot topics nowadays in recruiting is building a positive work environment. Job seekers want to work in a place where they’re confident they’ll be respected and welcomed. In a tight labour market like tech, it can be a difference maker when it comes to sought-after candidates.
Building a positive work environment starts with the people you hire. Social media background checks are a great way to see if a candidate is a cultural fit for your organization. They can reveal red flags not normally found using traditional background checks.
Indeed, nearly 80 per cent of HR professionals have denied a candidate because of inappropriate online activity.
If you’re hiring for a role that requires commercial drivers to use a company motor vehicle, you need to ensure they’re responsible drivers. More than 90 per cent of accidents are caused by human error. You want drivers who can deliver your merchandise, transport clients, and represent your company.
Driving record abstracts detail a candidate’s license status, driving history, infractions, active suspensions, and fines.
According to a Robert Half survey of 600 senior managers, 32 per cent of respondents said they’d removed a job candidate from consideration after a reference check.
In industries like hospitality where there is high turnover, there can be a lot of pressure to fill roles quickly and skip a reference check, but this will risk greater problems in the future if you hire a poor candidate.
A reference check is a great way to confirm if a candidate is the right fit, but it’s important to ask the right questions. Delegating reference checks to a qualified third party will ensure you’re gaining a complete understanding of a candidate while freeing up valuable time from your already busy HR team.
According to one survey, nearly 80 per cent of job seekers mispresented themselves on their job applications.
Employers in sectors like manufacturing and construction where safety is paramount must ensure they’re hiring qualified candidates, so an employment background check is essential.
An employment background check will confirm a candidate’s information, employment history, reasons for departure as well as whether the candidate is hardworking, reliable, and committed.
All Your Canadian Background Checks Under One Roof
Triton offers all of these Canadian background checks with industry-leading turnaround times. Even better, our solutions can seamlessly integrate into any of your HR software.
Visit our website today to request a demo.