Audit finds Texas agencies have room to improve on background checks
Don’t assume that everyone hired or licensed by a Texas agency has a squeaky clean record. Not all state agencies check the background of those they hire or license.
And dozens of other agencies need to improve their background check procedures, Texas State Auditor John Keel said in a report released last week.
Auditors surveyed 157 state agencies and higher education institutions about their procedures for checking the backgrounds of employees, licensees, contractors and, in some cases, students.
The study, commissioned by the Legislature, found that criminal background procedures are inconsistent and that some agencies authorized or required to perform them don’t.
For the entire article go to dallasnews.com
Corra must admit we are not shocked by this article. Really, with most states, you have human resource people relying on themselves or their staff for background checks. Quite often something can get lost in the interpretation.
Of course, this is if they conduct a background check in the first place. Some states do not, as some businesses fail to vet their employment candidates. Some will conduct partial background checks, figuring that’s enough. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.
Each fact of a background check can reveal parts of a personality, behavior traits. The strength of a good pre-employment screening service is in its ability to interpret these reports. Surely, it is important for a background checking service to offer the complete array of background research. And while some of the information is pretty cut and dry, some of the reports are subject to interpretation. A good screener can pick up on behavioral patterns and personality traits that may affect the employee and the work place.
Check them out before you hire.
