Any shrewd employer knows that great employees make great companies. That’s why so much effort is put into hiring the right kind of people. Background checks provide a means for HR professionals to evaluate the suitability of an applicant. It involves verifying the education, work experience, certifications, and all other information provided by the candidate to ensure it lines up with the applicant’s claims.
However, employees need to be healthy to be productive. How then do background checks contribute to the health and wellbeing of employees? Surely, they can be helpful, but not in the same sense that an on-site fitness program or mindfulness training will be. Their role in health tends to be more subtle. This post explores some of these subtleties.
Safe Workplace Environment – A Prerequisite for Employees’ Wellbeing
The first step towards ensuring the wellbeing of employees is by providing them with a safe working environment. It starts by hiring people that are well-behaved; people that will not threaten workplace safety.
A criminal history check helps employers delve into the criminal past of an applicant, probably through a national police check. A candidate with a litany of violence charges may not make a great hire because it’s only a matter of them before they get into physical violence with a coworker, which can lead to injury. Government accredited online services are becoming the norm for businesses to get police checks online. Services like ancc australian national character check offer a platform where individuals can apply and obtain the police clearance certificate completely online.
Similarly, a candidate with multiple sexual assault charges will most likely sexually harass co-workers if employed. Sexual harassment disrupts the emotional stability of the victim, making concentration difficult. This, in turn, reduces productivity.
Furthermore, having a violent or sex offender working with vulnerable groups like children can have even greater consequences. A teacher that sexually harasses kids may leave emotional scars on them that will take a lifetime to heal.
But by hiring well-behaved employees, every worker feels safe in the workplace and this helps to put them in the right frame of mind.
Fraud Prevention – A Threat to Livelihoods
Why is it that most people dream to work for big companies like BHP Group Limited, Westpac Banking Corp, or Google? Asides from the fact that the pay is very impressive, there’s a sense of security tied to the job. Employees know that as long as they fulfil their responsibility, they’re unlikely to get laid off. This brings about peace of mind.
However, fraud is one of the biggest threats to a company’s existence. For example, Australian retailers lose about $3 billion annually to fraud and theft. For small and medium-sized companies, employee theft can have even harder consequences.
Through a credit history check, as well as a police check, employers can assess the spending habits, as well as the current financial situation of an applicant or employee. A financially-stressed employee is more likely to engage in fraud. This way, employers can be proactive and take actions that will prevent this eventuality.
When every employee pulls their weight, all other things being equal, the company is expected to thrive. A thriving company gives employees peace of mind, which is beneficial to employee health and wellbeing.
Focus on Boosting the Bottom Line
As much as the physical and mental well-being of employees matters to boost the productivity of the company, so do the security and protectivity. One cannot deny the fact that the sickness of an employee is detrimental for the business but what if the employee does not feel secure working in the company, will they be able to focus? Will this be beneficial for the organization? The answer is straight-forward, No! If they have a good relationship with their colleagues, they feel more engaged and like to contribute to the company’s growth.
The basic idea is to boost the employee wellbeing which in turn will boost the bottom line of the organization. Health and wellbeing mean securing them financially, mentally, emotionally and physically. It is also the reason why public transport companies like a taxi company in Canberra mandate background checks for all drivers. It has flow-on effects to other drivers.
How to Initiate Employee Wellbeing
Wellbeing should not be seen as an individual problem, it should be viewed as a broader concern such as the organization-wide issue. An ideal organization is expected to raise awareness against this and develop their culture by promoting collaboration, greater communication and employee engagement. It develops the workplace environment and makes it healthier and enjoyable to work in.
Companies should not forget to focus on individual wellbeing too, as part of the healthier workforce. They can train employees about this which will help to raise awareness. In this way, they can identify the employee who is struggling and advise them on ways to manage them.
Conclusion
Screening checks are the starting point for ensuring that employees function in a safe and thriving work environment. This invariably boosts their wellbeing and productivity levels. A positive workplace is a happy workplace.
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