The current marketplace is harsh when it comes to scrutiny of brand image. Any unethical or criminal activity associated with companies is not at all tolerated by the customers. The industrial landscape has seen the death of many companies because of such scandals. In order to avoid such blows to the image, a thorough criminal records check is mandatory during the candidate screening process.
An employee criminal record check is one of the most important parts of the overall background verification process. Negligence in the hiring process might cause companies to hire employees with criminal backgrounds and proclivities. This can cause theft of property, malpractices, loss of reputation, loss of clients and capital. The Society of Human Resource Management estimates that a total of 69% of the organisations conduct criminal records check on their job applicants.
More than 50% of the organisations have confirmed that their criminal records checks are for ensuring high standards of hiring practices.
In India, criminal records check practices have revealed a total of 75% of the failure rates of applicants in certain locations. Criminal record verification process is usually conducted by accessing records on all levels of judicial authorities. Right from local to national. Mentioned below are some of the key questions that one might have about criminal records check, and their responses:
Employees at which designation must go through criminal records check?
Every new employee irrespective of the division or grade must go through a rigorous criminal record check process. While employees on smaller levels can cause loss of resources and reputation, having top executives with criminal records can kill the enterprise.
Are there regulations regarding criminal verification?
In India, as of now, there are no thorough laws governing the extent of criminal verification. However, there are strict punitive policies in place for companies if they fail to keep their employee information confidential or if they use personal information in disruptive ways. The Indian Contract Act and the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Acts are usually considered as the standards in such cases.
How long does it usually take to conduct a Criminal Verification?
It typically takes 14 working days to conduct a criminal check from a Police Station through a law firm. This process can be made more efficient and verification can be conducted within 7 days with the use of automated database management capabilities.
What are some of the common records available?
Today, we have access to the district magistrate, state and the Supreme Court’s public records, data related to litigations and other sources. AuthBridge also has the access to database of National Crime Research Bureau and most wanted lists posted by CBI. There are other databases that show details about disruptive behaviours such as history of drug abuse. Financial defaulters’ list is also accessible from SEBI, RBI and lists of corrupt officials published by Central Vigilance Committee.
How to conduct a criminal record Verification?
The first thing to keep in mind here is communication. You need to inform the candidate before-hand that you will be conducting such a check. Only after consent from the candidate should anyone proceed. Secondly, the candidate must be given complete assurance of privacy and confidentiality. All of this must be established in the form of written consents. After securing the above conditions, an organisation should hire professional criminal records check services that have access to specialised and public databases and automated software tools. This will not only ensure an error-free criminal checking process but also save costs to the organisation in terms of resources and capital in conducting their own checks.
