When an opening in the ranks of senior management occurs there are two options to fill the vacancy: find a new outside hire or promote someone within the organization. If you decide to hire a new employee, conducting a thorough background check is a no-brainer – it’s probably already built into your hiring process. But do you do a background check for an internal promotion?
The experts at Barada Associates say yes! In recent years, the trend of re-checking employees annually up to every 5 years has grown in popularity across industries. Furthermore, a higher position may require different qualifications or standards that an employee didn’t have to live up to when they were initially hired. An employee background check can help you determine if a promotion is the right choice for your open position.
Our experienced firm offers both current employee and pre-employment background checks so you can ensure you make the right hiring and staff decisions at every turn. Read on to learn more about background screening employee promotions and be sure to give us a call when you’re ready for your consultation with our pre-employment background check experts.
Why Should I Promote Employees?
It’s the age-old question, do you prioritize internal or external hiring?
When considering promotions, prioritizing internal candidates can offer numerous benefits for both the organization and its employees. Internal promotions demonstrate a commitment to employee development and retention, fostering loyalty and morale within the workforce. By recognizing and rewarding internal talent, employers can boost employee engagement and motivation as individuals are more likely to strive for advancement when they see opportunities for growth within the company.
Promoting from within also can lead to smoother transitions and shorter onboarding periods as internal candidates are already familiar with the organization’s culture, processes, and expectations.
However, it’s also essential to balance internal promotions with external hiring to bring fresh perspectives, skills, and experiences into the organization. External candidates may introduce innovative ideas, diversify the workforce, and fill skill gaps that cannot be addressed internally.
Ultimately, the decision to prioritize internal or external hiring for promotions should be based on the specific needs of your organization and the qualifications of available candidates, both internally and externally. Either way, Barada Associates’ accurate and timely employment background screening services can help you make the right choice.
What Should I Look for Before Deciding on a Promotion?
Before deciding on a promotion, it’s crucial to assess several key factors to ensure the right candidate is selected for the role:
- Performance and Achievements: Evaluate the candidate’s track record of performance and accomplishments in their current role, considering metrics, goals achieved, and contributions to the team or department.
- Skills and Qualifications: Determine if the candidate possesses the necessary skills, knowledge, and qualifications required for the promoted position, including technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and industry-specific competencies.
- Potential and Growth: Consider the candidate’s potential for growth and development within the organization. Assess their capacity to take on increased responsibilities, learn new skills, and adapt to evolving challenges.
- Fit with Company Culture: Evaluate how well the candidate aligns with the company’s values, culture, and vision. A good cultural fit fosters collaboration, teamwork, and organizational cohesion.
- Leadership and Management Abilities: Assess the candidate’s leadership potential and management skills, including communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and ability to motivate and inspire others.
By carefully considering these factors, employers can make informed decisions about promotions. Once you decide on a promotion, our comprehensive background check is the final step to ensure a dishonest or unqualified promoted employee doesn’t affect your company for years to come.
Why are Promotion Background Checks Important?
People change over time. The employees you screened 5 years ago when they were first hired may have a totally different personal and professional history than they do now at the time of the promotion. From criminal history to credit history, it’s better to be safe than sorry that an individual is still a qualified candidate for the job.
The more significant the position is to the organization, the more thorough the check should be. The higher the visibility of the position and the person in it, the more sense it makes to do a careful background and reference check.
What Can a Background Check Tell Me About the Person I’m Considering for Promotion?
When considering an employee for promotion, a background check can provide valuable insights into their suitability for the new role and their overall integrity.
Comprehensive background screenings from a professional team like Barada Associates can reveal information such as the candidate’s employment history, verifying their past achievements and contributions to the organization. It can also uncover any disciplinary actions or performance issues that may impact their eligibility for promotion. Moreover, a background check can include criminal history screenings, ensuring that the candidate does not pose a risk to the company or its employees or has damaging criminal records and criminal convictions.
By conducting a thorough background check, employers can make informed decisions about their promotions and new hires. The goal is to mitigate potential risks and ensure that the promoted individual is well-suited for their new responsibilities.
What Kind of Background Checks Should I Perform?
When considering background checks for employee promotions, it’s essential to tailor the screening process to the specific requirements of the new role and any industry standards that have changed since their initial pre-employment screening.
Here are key background checks to consider for your next promotion prospect:
- Employment Verification: Confirm the candidate’s previous roles, responsibilities, and achievements within the company. Reference checks can also aid in this process.
- Education Verification: Validate the candidate’s educational qualifications to ensure they meet the requirements for the promoted position.
- Performance Reviews: Review the candidate’s performance evaluations, feedback from supervisors, and file with human resources to gauge their suitability for advancement.
- Criminal Background Check: Conduct a criminal history check to identify any criminal record or potential red flags that may impact their eligibility for promotion. We can check for violations of federal laws as well as a candidate’s motor vehicle record.
- Credit Check: Depending on the nature of the role, consider a credit check to assess the candidate’s financial responsibility and integrity. Our credit history checks follow the guidelines of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Drug and Alcohol Testing: Consider including drug and alcohol testing as part of the background check process to ensure the candidate maintains a substance-free workplace, promoting safety and productivity within the organization.
- Social Media Background Checks: Conduct thorough social media background checks to assess the candidate’s online presence, behavior, and reputation outside of work.
By incorporating these background checks into the promotion process, employers can ensure that the promoted individual possesses the necessary qualifications, skills, and character traits to excel in their new role.
Do I Need Permission to Perform Promotion Background Checks?
Like all background checks, an employment screening for promotions must adhere to all local, state, and federal applicable laws.
For a promotion screening, it is a legal requirement to obtain written permission from the employee before conducting background checks. Whether they fill out a consent form or the agreement is a part of the hiring contract they filled out upon offer acceptance, this step can’t be skipped.
Besides the legality, doing background checks with the employee’s knowledge and permission demonstrates you and your hiring team’s respect for your staff’s privacy and rights. This also provides clear and transparent expectations for your team and brings awareness to whatever background check or drug and alcohol testing policies you may have in place.
Contact Barada Associates Today
From promotions to new hires, we do it all at Barada Associates. Since 1979, we’ve served countless companies in diverse industries across the U.S. with the detailed background checks they need to optimize their hiring choices without delaying their processes. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation for your unique promotion background check needs.