When people marry they’ve usually spent several months and even years dating before walking down the aisle.

But when hiring employees -- another extremely close and long-term relationship -- employers usually only meet with a potential employee a handful of times before deciding to bring that person aboard. And, let’s be honest, spending a few hours with someone is sometimes a poor way to make an employment decision.

Workplace fraud and violence and employee theft are on the rise. Unfortunately, dishonesty is rampant when it comes to employment. Most people lie on their resumes. It’s often a little lie (exaggerating how long a person stayed at a job, for example), but as an employer it’s better to double check. After all, human resources professionals estimate it takes three to five months for an employee to really learn the ins and outs of a position and/or a company’s culture before he or she is truly “worth” what an employer pays. Having to fire someone for dishonesty on the job is costly and time consuming.

So when deciding whether to hire someone for your place of business, it’s important to conduct an employee background check on the potential hire to help you get a clearer snapshot of the applicant.

A good employment background check will verify an applicant’s resume though their work history, education, criminal history and credit rating. Each claim of qualification on a resume can be a reflection on the kind of employee they will be and should not be taken lightly.

Conduct a background check and you may find a history of alcohol, drug abuse, outstanding warrants for arrest, liens on property and other items that may have you thinking twice about making an offer of employment.

A thorough employee background check can reduce the risk of theft and violence in the workplace as well as protect your company, your employees and customers.

You most definitely should conduct an employment background check when you’re hiring someone for a position of extreme trust, such as a cashier, records clerk, accountant, health care provider, etc.

To conduct an employee background check, you will need to comb through public records. This can be an overwhelming task, as applicants may have lived in many different areas and the amount of information cataloged on any one today is voluminous.

Instead, consider hiring a respected employment background check company. These companies have the tools and the expertise to complete a thorough check on any potential employee you may be considering.

View all Brandon Meryhew's articles

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About the Author:
Brandon Meryhew is the President of Instant Background Check, a provider of employment background checks to businesses. Their database of national criminal records allows employers to access the criminal records of potential new hires. Individuals applying for jobs, mortgages, and more can run a background check on themselves to reveal any hidden criminal history.

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