If your company is in the position to acquire or merge with another business, explaining profitability and growing market share often overshadows concerns regarding human resources. Background checks in mergers and acquisitions, however, are critical in reducing risks associated with the staff of another business.
In any procurement process, you must include background checks in mergers and acquisitions to protect your brand. Learn about the various components to background checks in mergers and acquisitions as well as how to simplify the process.
Why Conduct Background Checks in Mergers and Acquisitions
There are many compelling reasons to conduct background checks in mergers and acquisitions. While your company may have a thorough background screening policy in place, the company involved in your merger or acquisition may not.
Or, one company may have a new hire screening process in place, but it is not up to the same standards as the purchasing company.
In addition to settling concerns regarding new hire background check processes, background checks in mergers and acquisitions give you accurate details about the employee now – not years ago when he or she first onboarded.
Never simply accept the pre-hire background check information, as it does not provide your company with any information regarding concerning behaviors and actions from that time until now.
How Do You Screen Current Employees
Concerned about permissions? How do you perform background checks or for example, initiate drug and alcohol testing policies for current employees? Laws vary by state so it’s important to draft legally-compliant documentation.
At Barada Associates, we help companies create policies and documentation for drug and alcohol testing as well as facilitate the testing itself. Mergers and acquisitions often create a lot of stress amongst employees.
If they have concerns about job or financial security, they may cope with their stress in unhealthy ways. These habits might affect their performance or expose the company and coworkers to risk. Be proactive and ask for help establishing protocols and with execution if needed.
I-9 & E-Verify Audits
During a merger or acquisition, it is your responsibility to ensure I-9 documentation on all new employees exists, as well as the compliance of the current business’s I-9 forms. An E-Verify and I-9 audit helps protect your business against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) audit fines due to improper paperwork, and ensure all employees are eligible to work.
Rescreening Employees with Background Checks in Mergers and Acquisitions
Rescreening of employees is always a good idea, especially when undergoing a merger or acquisition. Unfortunately, many companies adopt background check policies that only examine new hires.
This fails to consider illegal behaviors during the course of employment. An employee’s ability to get caught breaking the law does not end once hired by his or her original employer.
A new employee gained through a merger or acquisition can become a risk to your brand when the employee comes with a criminal record, drug use, or falsified education credentials. What if you’re acquiring an employee through the merger or acquisition who committed fraud? You might be bringing the human equivalent of a computer virus inside your organization.
Ever look at an item on clearance and wonder, what’s wrong with it? The deal you’re getting might be because of undiscovered fraudulent activities. Regardless, take the opportunity to run checks on everyone, including the C-suite executives.
Rescreening of employees during this time protects your company’s image as well as profitability. Reduce the risk of employee turnover and associated costs of replacement with comprehensive employee rescreening that includes:
- Criminal background checks
- Employment verification
- Education verification
- Drug testing
- Financial liability/credit checks (if applicable)
Assistance with Background Checks in Mergers and Acquisitions
The merger and acquisition process is already stressful enough for businesses. Background checks and rescreening have the potential to fall through the cracks during this busy time. Protect your business as you grow when you partner with Barada Associates for your background check needs.
Barada’s comprehensive background check and rescreening processes help your business verify the employment eligibility of any newly acquired employees and ensure these employees meet your business’s current standards.
Our services help you ensure compliance and avoid audit fines while reducing the risk of workplace issues once your merger or acquisition is complete.
Consult with Barada Associates today and create a comprehensive plan for your company’s background checks in mergers and acquisitions. We take care of the screening processes for you, so you are able to focus on other concerns as you work to grow your brand.