Vancouver, WA, Dec. 18--The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (www.iicrc.org) acknowledges employee background checks as a necessary and cost effective step in the cleaning and restoration industry¹s hiring process. The September 11th tragedy has reinforced the need for employee screening in large companies, such as restoration companies or janitorial businesses that have regular access to buildings. Smaller family owned firms, however, still are reluctant to spend resources on background checks.
³Even a minor employee infraction can hurt your company¹s reputation or bank account² comments Ruth Travis, vice chairman for the IICRC, ³and risking an unsuspecting customer¹s welfare or life is just plain gross negligence. When you tally the expense and time it takes to recruit, interview, hire and train an employee, it doesn¹t make sense to cut corners when verifying background details.²
IICRC technical advisor, Jeff Bishop, served as an expert witness in the Kerry Spooner-Dean trial. The young woman had responded to a $5.99 per room carpet cleaning ad and was murdered by a cleaner. Both Bishop and Travis suggest the following tips for proper pre-employment screening:
1. Background checks should be mandatory for large companies, businesses in large metropolitan areas and/or companies with a large customer base.
2. Check references to determine a candidate¹s past and future employment performances and use resources such as the industry contacts (IICRC), professional associations (ISCT), and local networks (Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau).
3. To protect yourself and your company, you must have written permission from the potential employee to contact any reference source.
4. Verify each candidate¹s credentials to ensure accuracy of information.
5. Be consistent. Treat every candidate equally and don¹t investigate random candidates or applicants who may seem suspicious. Keep in mind that state and federal laws police the kinds of information employers can use when making employment decisions. Most states follow federal guidelines, but there are variations. Check your state¹s requirements before proceeding.
6. Most regulations apply only when hiring a third party to conduct the investigation.
7. If hiring an outside firm, most third party background checks take three to five days to complete.
8. Today, it costs roughly $50 for a professional pre-employment screening.
The IICRC encourages the cleaning industry to invest the time and money to perform background checks on prospective employees. The task of finding, hiring and retaining good, honest employees is very important for your business, and the well being and safety of your customers.
