In today’s competitive job market, organizations are increasingly relying on background screenings as a standard part of their hiring process. These screenings serve to verify the credentials, employment history, criminal records, and other relevant information about prospective employees. While background screenings are essential for maintaining workplace safety and integrity, they also influence employee morale in various ways. Understanding how these screenings impact both employee morale and workplace safety is crucial for organizations aiming to foster a positive, safe, and productive work environment. Professional and complete background screenings are critical to a company’s success.
Inadequate background screenings not only jeopardize client safety but also adversely affect the morale and safety of existing employees. If current employees perceive a threat from newly hired individuals with questionable backgrounds, it can lead to a toxic work environment. When employees feel unsafe, it increases their anxiety and dissatisfaction in the workplace, resulting in diminished teamwork and collaboration. Ultimately, this undermines overall productivity, causes higher turnover rates, and leads to skilled workers leaving the company due to concerns about an unsafe working environment. When trust is absent, employees may hesitate to communicate effectively or share information, resulting in fragmented operations, dissatisfied clients, theft, and even violence.
One of the primary reasons organizations implement background screenings is to ensure a safe working environment. By screening potential hires for criminal history or other red flags, employers reduce the risk of negligent hiring claims, theft, violence, or other misconduct that could jeopardize employee safety. Background screenings are vital for the health and well-being of organizations.
Unfortunately, workplace violence isn’t all that rare. In May of 2019, a shooting by a disgruntled public utility employee opened fire with a handgun on co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia, killing 12 people and wounding at least four, making it one of the workplace violence incidents in the US in over a decade. In 2016, there were 500 workplace homicides, accounting for 10% of all fatal occupational injuries. Even more startling, workplace violence is the second leading cause of death for women in the workplace.
A safe and secure workplace is essential to productivity and revenue. Workplace violence is estimated to cost $121 billion in annual losses. Millions of Americans report being victims of workplace violence, which the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) defines as any act of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening behavior that occurs yearly at a worksite. It includes both physical and verbal abuse and isn’t always easy to spot and handle.
When reviewing statistics and horrific incidents of workplace violence, we ask, “What pushes these people over the edge?” “Could this happen in my workplace?” and “Didn’t anybody see this coming?” The fact is that the warning signs of unstable persons are there. The signs, however, are often misread or ignored, or we attempt to justify telltale actions as “personality quirks.” And the warning signs of overly stressed work environments are also there; we account for those who perpetuate such environments by describing them as “efficient” or “highly productive.”
Research indicates that comprehensive pre-employment screening can significantly decrease workplace accidents and misconduct. For example, a 2020 report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) highlighted that organizations conducting thorough background screenings experienced fewer incidents of violence and theft among employees. These screenings serve as a proactive measure to identify potential risks, ensuring that only suitable candidates are hired, which ultimately benefits the organization as a whole. There is way too much risk for a business not to conduct pre-employment and post-hiring background screening.
Balancing Safety and Morale: Best Practices
To maximize the benefits of background screenings while minimizing potential negative impacts on morale, organizations should adopt best practices:
- Clear Policies and Communication: Clearly articulate the purpose, process, and scope of background screenings. Transparency reduces suspicion and builds trust.
- Consistent Application: Apply background screenings uniformly across all applicants to prevent perceptions of bias or unfairness.
- Respect Privacy and Compliance: Ensure compliance with legal standards and respect for employee privacy rights. Obtain written consent and provide applicants with copies of the reports obtained.
- Support and Fair Treatment: For current employees with past issues, consider offering support, rehabilitation opportunities, and fair treatment rather than punitive measures.
Organizations that prioritize ethical standards, transparency, and fairness in background screening will better balance safety needs with employee morale. Moreover, fostering a workplace culture that values trust, respect, and open communication can mitigate any adverse effects background screenings might have on morale.
At Mohr Information & Investigative Services, our mission is to provide you with accurate and timely information to keep your clients, customers, employees, and the public safe. We have over 30 years of experience providing background screening for our clients and look forward to providing this service for you, too. To learn more, call us today at (540) 678-8775.