When providing office cleaning services in Ontario, we need to able to trust our employees or subcontractors and know they will provide the best service possible to our clients. It’s important for our clients to know their cleaning crew will not pose a threat to their business, its workers, or their clients. For this reason, background checks are a popular option in order to gain access to information an employee or potential candidate may be hiding.
Now, the type of background check is largely depend on the particular position the candidate will be applying for, but luckily, there are a variety of background checks to choose from. So, to help, our Golden Star Janitorial Inc team has outlined some of the most common and important checks that can be run, what some may entail, and why they are important.
What is Considered In a Basic Background Check
Running a background can prove to be invaluable since it can help an employer find out important information about a potential employee or worker. When completing a basic background check, an employer should look for the following things:
- Has the employee and/or candidate been upfront about their past?
- Previous employment history
- Verify the candidate’s references, education and qualifications.
- And more…
Finding out if a candidate or employee has been untruthful about any of this information can be easily uncovered with a basic background check.
Checking for Warning Signs
Any Ontario office cleaning service business should want to make certain that have done everything they can to make sure any new addition to their team has been thoroughly vetted. That’s why it is important, depending on the hire, to dig deeper, and do more than just a basic background check. Certain aspects like previous criminal history, credit/financial responsibility, and more can be important to know; especially for a worker who needs to be trusted to clean various businesses and other potential high-end operations and buildings.
So, here are seven checks and warnings signs to consider when it comes to hiring a new employee/candidate…
1.Criminal Background Check
As mentioned, since a cleaning service will be entering various businesses, and sometimes private homes (depending on the cleaning services offered) it is important to do a criminal background check.
It is recommended to go back 12 years to ensure the candidate has no recent convictions or criminal activity. If it is found that a candidate has been untruthful about their past criminal record, it is usually recommended to terminate the interview or hiring process immediately.
2.Certifications or Licenses
While the janitorial and office cleaning services in Ontario may not require specific licenses, if a candidate lists certifications or licenses from previous jobs in different industries, it is recommended to verify them. For example, if a candidate was a registered nurse or caregiver, it is important to ensure they didn’t lose their certification or license due to any problems or issues.
Remember, just because a qualification is from another industry, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be checked out. Similar to the criminal background check, if someone isn’t forthcoming about their licenses or certifications, that is a big warning sign.
3. Sex Offender Registry
This is a very important check since employees will be working and possibly interacting with each other as well as potential clients. Generally speaking, any previous conviction should appear on state or national checks. It goes without saying that if anything comes up, this should be a strong consideration in the interview or hiring process.
4. Workers Compensation Past
While this can easily be overlooked, conducting a worker’s compensation history check can prove to be a very good idea. This check can be fairly straightforward. It looks into past claims, the type of injury and incidents, and even outcomes. Doing this check can help a potential employer catch any patterns, and know if this is a common occurrence, etc.
5. Online Background Checks
With the growing popularity of social media, it can be tough to find someone who doesn’t have at least one profile on a social media platform. Taking that into consideration, a growing number of employers are beginning to do online and social media screenings and reviews to identify any potential issues and other patterns of behavior that might be posted. Business owners should create a protocol that is very clear regarding social media and their business practices.
6. Screening for Narcotics
Drug screening is a valuable check to undertake since criminal checks will only show drug history if users have been found guilty of drug related charges. Drug screening can quickly identify any problems and is a great way to screen for candidates who may have difficulty working at their full potential due to substance abuse issues.
7. Past Driving Experiences
Attaining a motor vehicle report for a potential hire is a very affordable option and one that should be considered if employees will be driving a company vehicle or utilizing motorized device for any number of jobs while working. After all, it is not wise to hand over the keys to a driver who has a demonstrated history of poor or reckless driving.
However, a candidate with a poor vehicle report doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be excellent employees in certain positions. Many positions don’t require an employee to drive, so not every employee needs to have a good driving record or even a driver’s license.
Golden Star Janitorial Inc Provides Office Cleaning Service & More in Ontario California
As a cleaning company, certain insurances may require background checks, such as General Liability Insurance. However, there are a lot of potential things to keep in mind when hiring for an office cleaning or janitorial service company.
To learn more about our Golden Star Janitorial Inc office cleaning services in Ontario, including our COVID-19 deep disinfecting and sanitation options, please contact our team today for a quote.
