How can I check out a prospective employee without violating his or her right to privacy?
As an employer, you likely believe that the more information you have about job applicants, the better your hiring decisions will be. But make sure any information you seek will actually be helpful to you. It’s often a waste of time and effort to acquire and review transcripts and credit reports, although occasionally they’re useful. If you’re hiring a bookkeeper, for example, previous job experience is much more important than the grades the applicant received in a community college bookkeeping program 10 years ago. On the other hand, if the applicant is fresh out of school and has never held a bookkeeping job, a transcript may yield some insights. Similarly, if you’re hiring a switchboard operator, information on a credit report would be irrelevant. But if you’re filling a job for a bar manager who will be handling large cash receipts, you might want to see a credit report to learn if the applicant is in financial trouble. Finally, it’s usually not wise to resort to screening applica
