Criminal background check offers crucial protection against potential fraud and safeguarding workplace integrity. By uncovering past criminal behavior, it mitigates risks of theft, ensures workplace safety, upholds brand reputation, ensures legal compliance, and fosters a positive work environment, essential for business success and employee well-being.

Index Rampant Workplace thefts hamper Pakistan Steel Mills operations Why Criminal Screening? What is criminal screening and how does it work? Conducting thorough criminal screening in Pakistan Full-service background check company or a DIY approach? Seamless and compliant background checks with Check Xperts

Rampant workplace thefts hamper Pakistan Steel Mills operations

Two out of three former employees at Pakistan Steel Mills were found guilty involved in a theft incident of three metric tons (MTN) of brass and copper worth around Rs. 4.7 million. The organization in totality has faced a Financial loss of Rs 18 million incurred due to theft of machinery and assets. Arif Shaikh, the acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of PSM, has acknowledged a distressing surge in theft incidents within the steel mill, resulting in substantial financial losses to the state-owned entity. Mr. Shaikh emphasized that the theft of machinery and assets has considerably impacted both the operational capabilities and financial stability of PSM. 

Workplace theft is a hidden risk that goes unnoticed until it rips through a firm’s finances. It’s a crime that is costing U.S. businesses $50 billion annually, according to Statistic Brain. It can be rightly said that no country goes unharmed by this theft, moreover, often the most trusted employee is the one who embezzles.

Why criminal screening?

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) projected that organizations lose around 5% of their revenue each year due to fraud. How can this be stopped? Is it okay for employers to lose their hard-earned money due to a few black sheep within their staff?  As difficult as this sounds, the solution is really simple, criminal screening. Criminal screening will save you the hassle of bringing in an employee with a criminal past, thus lowering the risk of fraud in your firm. Not only theft, there are multiple benefits of conducting criminal screening. 

• Workplace theft:
  Whether cash or kind, workplace theft prevails in multiple forms, however, conducting employee criminal screening can help you identify already convicted persons and save your company from a huge loss. 
• Workplace safety:
  A background check for employment can reveal criminal convictions such as assaults, rapes, and other crimes that might threaten the well-being of your clients and employees. To maintain a healthy working environment it is highly advisable to conduct criminal screening of your potential employees. 
• Building brand name:
  The employees you place in your clients’ businesses are a direct representative of your firm’s brand. Imagine sending a candidate out on a job, only to find out later they misrepresented their skills, experience, or professional history. That not only compromises your client through no fault of their own, it reflects poorly on your entire organization and risks irreparable damage to your brand. 
• Compliance with the law:
  With so many companies having international subsidiaries and dealing with compliance issues for several countries, it makes sense how this can be a challenging task. If you screen candidates beforehand, you can ensure your employees are legal employees with all the legal paperwork and qualifications necessary to work. 
• Positive work environment:
  Building an effective workforce requires trust, comfort, and personal bounds. To pursue this, a criminal check amongst all your potential hiring is quintessential. This eliminates any biases within the workforce and ensures a happy, positive working environment.
  
  

What is criminal background screening and how does it work?

Criminal record checking is a process that employers use to screen potential employees for criminal records, past convictions, and other information that could affect their suitability for a job. It is one of the most important types of background checks because it can help the employer find out if the potential employee has any criminal records or convictions. Moreover, a criminal record is a list of the crimes committed by an individual. They are not a single event, but rather a pattern of offences. 

How does a criminal check work? Generally, the hiring manager will order a criminal history background check after a candidate receives a conditional offer of employment. The employer must provide the candidate with their intent to conduct a criminal record check and then receive the candidate’s consent before proceeding.

Depending on the search requirements, the employer may use the individual’s personal identifying information to search public record criminal databases at the provincial, national, or federal level. If the background check for criminal records uncovers criminal offences, they may take additional steps to review the results before delivering the company hired, and may report to the employer.

Once the criminal check is completed, the hiring manager will know whether the said candidate was involved in any criminal activities, if there is any issue of identity fraud, any existing involvement of the candidate in litigations and judicial proceedings will be uncovered. This information will allow the hiring manager to make an informed decision before making the candidate a permanent part of their workforce.

Conducting thorough criminal screening in Pakistan

Key requirements 

Doing a thorough background check for your potential employees can be a herculean task as it deals with multiple domains at a professional level. Here is a list of items required to complete a thorough background check:

• A valid ID card of the individual being checked
• Signed consent from the individual to conduct a background check

How is criminal screening performed in Pakistan?

Courts Verification
Information from the ID is extracted and matched against repositories of session, district, city, provincial, national, and ATC courts to identify if there is any reference of the person in any legal proceedings. This process sifts out any legal proceedings the candidate might have been a part of.

LEA verification
The ID card is verified against all the records of LEAs (Law Enforcement Agencies) in Pakistan to uncover any criminal activities the candidate might have been involved in.

NADRA Verification
The ID card is matched against the record of the candidate as it exists in NADRA to ensure that the provided ID card is right and there is no identity fraud being committed.

Full-service background check company or a DIY approach?

The significance of Criminal Checks is evident, however, it is equally important to understand how criminal background checks should be approached. There are two ways employers can conduct background checks, including hiring a third-party full-service background check company or taking a DIY approach and conducting the background check on their own. 

Some employers try DIY background checks through different websites that often promise to deliver instant results. However, the information provided by these vendors is frequently untrustworthy, not comprehensive, and not FCRA-compliant. 

While the DIY avenue for background checks might seem faster and cheaper, the error-filled results can place your company at risk of making poor hiring decisions. These types of background checks also will not include any information verifying the employment or educational backgrounds of your applicants.

Full-service background check companies like Check Xperts provide comprehensive screening reports and complete all of the necessary research. With access to numerous databases of up-to-date and accurate information and use of cutting-edge technology, we strive to deliver reliable results to our clients. Hence, conducting a criminal background check through a full-service background check company is a more reliable and efficient source.

Seamless and compliant background checks with Check Xperts

Choosing the right full-service background check provider can help you avoid problems and ensure compliance with all relevant employment screening laws.

By partnering with Check Xperts, you will benefit from our fast, accurate background reports, affordable prices, and a smooth process. Our KYC/AML background screening services provide essential safeguards to protect your business from criminal threats and assure trustworthy employment. 

We have extensive experience providing services to companies within numerous industries and the resources to provide thorough, reliable reports regardless of your company’s type.

To learn how Check Xperts can help to meet your background check requirements, contact us today. We are available to answer any questions you might have and are prepared to provide effective solutions for you.

Criminal theft and employee misconduct are prevalent in every organization, nevertheless if equipped with the correct tool it is not something that can't be overcome. Check Xperts can be your most reliable partner to overcome any issues before hiring potential employees.