Wise Startup Blog

Past hiring practices usually just involved an applicant filling out a paper application and waiting for a telephone call. At times, it wasn’t even that complicated — a handshake was all that was needed when solidifying an agreement to an employer/employee relationship. This was more common in the days before society became as mobile as it is currently. Hiring managers often already knew the applicants or at least knew something about their work reputations. These days, many human resources departments don’t even know if the job seekers are who they claim to be, which is why services such as identity verification from LexisNexis can be an excellent resource for those who want to ensure that they are making the best possible hiring decisions.

Because of identity theft, fraud and the influx of undocumented workers into the country’s labor force, it is more important than ever that companies protect themselves against employees who have less than honest motives. If it can be ascertained that an employee is not who he or she claims to be, the chances are good that the person has underhanded reasons for wanting to become an employee.

Using identity verification services will also allow potential employers to gain insight into whether prospective employees would be a good match for their company’s particular culture. Information about individuals is fairly easy to obtain in these electronic times, and since most of us no longer live in small-town environments where everyone knows one another, reliance on information about individuals gleaned using electronic resources has become increasingly common.

Although some people may consider this intrusive, it’s really no more so than the old-fashioned way of soliciting local gossip concerning applicants as a way to ascertain their suitability for an available position.

Because uninformed hiring decisions can cost the company time and money, it is important that hiring managers have effective tools at their disposal that help them to make wise selections. Employee turnover can result in excessive spending for training new employees, particularly if it has become commonplace. Theft by employees is also on the rise and consequently, wise hiring managers watch for indications in the background information of prospective employees that they may pose a security risk if hired.

Adverse economic conditions of the past few years have caused some applicants to misrepresent their skills and experience when applying for new positions. Unfortunately, this can have negative consequences for all involved.