If you have changed jobs, volunteered to work with youth, or perhaps even went on a date in the past decade, then the odds are good that someone did a background check on you. Background checks are becoming more pervasive in both the business and personal realms, and for good reasons.
Background checks give you the security of knowing that a person is honest about who they are and lets you know about the things in their past that might have an impact on you or your relationship. Thanks to technology, running a background check now only takes a few minutes. You can use a site like checkpeople.com, or any of its competitors, to have the information you need in a matter of moments. They are inexpensive, easy to conduct and give you peace of mind that you took reasonable measures to protect your business, family, personal safety, or assets.
The most important reasons to run a background check
- Screening potential employees—Employers are doing background checks on all employees as a standard practice. In running a background check, they are practicing due diligence for their other employees in keeping the workplace safe. Background checks also protect against allegations of negligent hiring practices and can help protect resources and profits. Hiring the wrong person is often a costly mistake, and background checks give employers a new tool to help avoid making that mistake.
- Due diligence when investing or purchasing a business—Potential buyers often do background checks on both the business entity and on those who own the business. Performing due diligence helps avoid costly mistakes in investing, and offers a level of protection against scammers. For investments, background checks offer a level of protection for both the investors and the investment itself.
- For the protection of children—For those who will be entrusted with the care of children, a background check is an expected safety measure. The purpose of a background check, whether it is for a caregiver, a neighbor, or your ex’s new romantic partner, is to give you the information you need to protect your children.
- As a part of litigation—background checks are used on almost everyone involved in a litigation case. It serves as an attempt to give the opposing counsel ammunition to discredit those directly involved in the suit as well as witnesses and experts. Background checks are also frequently used by attorneys in family law cases in an attempt to win a favorable outcome for their client.
- Before you meet or date someone—a quick online background check has become commonplace before meeting or dating someone you may have only gotten to know online. With the popularity of meeting romantic interest over the internet, a background check is one tool you can use to help assure your safety before agreeing to meet someone. Not only does it serve to give you notice of disturbing things they might be hiding, but it can let you know if they are not honest about anything from the type of job they have to the appraised value of their home.
- Before marriage—Marriage is a massive step in a relationship, and before committing to a lifetime together, you want to know everything there is to know about your future spouse. Many couples are agreeing to joint background checks as a standard part of pre-wedding planning. The basic concept is that if you have nothing to hide, why would you resist a background check?
Marriage also means combining finances, and you have a right to understand the full financial background of your potential spouse before the nuptials are said. There may be things on either party’s background that could affect your ability to purchase a home or finance other large purchases. Taking the time to address the potential impacts of this information before the wedding is smart planning for any couple.
- A background check on yourself—Doing a background check on yourself is a good idea. The most important reason is that it lets you address any incorrect information, and you will not be caught off guard with what someone else can find out about you.
Given how common background checks are, and how easy they are to do, many people choose to order a background check on themselves to prevent any surprises. Ordering a background check on yourself is also a safety measure to monitor for various types of identity theft. If there is inaccurate information on your background check, you will need to address that at the source. Whatever agency or institution who reported the information will be responsible for resolving any errors in the report.
Concluding thoughts
There are numerous reasons to do a background check, but the ones listed are among the most common. Ordering a background check is a quick and easy task and worth the peace of mind it can bring. If you feel uncertain about a person, even if you can’t identify the reason, then it is prudent to order a background check. Online background checks are also done anonymously, so the person you do the background check on does not even have to know you ordered the report.
