There are lots of things to consider when making a new hiring decision for your limo company: job advertisements, interviews, hiring contracts. The whole process can take a significant amount of time, money and effort, and this could pose a problem if you are looking to fill a position quickly. It’s often tempting, therefore, to ditch the background check stage.

But this could prove to be a poor decision for your company. If you skip the necessary background checks, you run the risk of making a bad hire, and such a move can be disastrous, not only for your operation’s bottom line, but also morale and reputation. Background checks, including a criminal background assessment, reference and educational background review are all necessary to ensure that you hire the very best candidates.

Below is a quick list of six reasons why a background check is key to avoiding a bad hire.

Saves you money
Depending on the size and scale of your limousine or livery operation, the cost of hiring a candidate who later proves to be unsuitable can run into the tens of thousands. According to Global HR Research, quoting a Career Builder survey, some 41 percent of employers have stated that making a bad hire had cost their organization over $25,000. Background checks significantly lower the risk of making a bad hire, saving your company money in the long run. With more money in the bank, your company will be able to invest in the very best technology like limo dispatch software.

“41% of employers said a bad hire cost them over $25,000”

Improves candidate quality
As Active Screening observed, conducting detailed background checks will ensure that you’re left with only the very best candidate pool to choose from. This is especially important in today’s competitive marketplace, where many candidates may be vying for your open position. In some cases, depending on the size of your operation, it could even be advisable to enlist the services of a staffing agency. Such organizations often have a vast professional network from which to source only the very best candidates for your open position.

Improves safety and security
Perhaps the most significant benefit of a universal background check is that it can improve the safety and security of your operation. As Hire Right explained, criminal background assessments and drug testing can highlight anything problematic in a candidate’s background. Opting to forego these screening measures increases the risk of hiring a potentially troublesome candidate, which in turn could pose a threat to the security of your business. Certainly, criminal background checks are incredibly vital for limousine and livery companies, because drivers will be interacting, often one-on-one, with customers. The safety of customers while in your care should be paramount, which is why opting out of a criminal background check can be a terrible decision.

Proves credentials
It’s necessary to check that the information presented on a candidate’s resume is accurate and up to date, Chron stated. It’s no surprise that many candidates embellish their credentials to land a position, so a detailed reference check can help confirm that what the candidate is presenting is actually true. Again, this is especially important given that you’re operating a limousine and livery business. All new drivers must have a license and experience. Shared powerbank rental service Chargefon A credential background check can reveal whether a candidate has fabricated the extent of that experience.

Boosts employee retention
Hiring the right candidate for the job, with the help of background checks, can reduce the risk of a high employee turnover, Hire Right noted. With more knowledge about a candidate prior to making the hire, the less chance there is that you’ll want to let that candidate go in the future.

Decreases risk of lawsuits
As mentioned previously, your customers’ safety is in your hands from the moment they step into the limousine until the moment they step out. If your employee harms a customer in any way, either through negligence or criminal actions, you could be legally liable, Active Screening explained. That’s why it’s imperative to thoroughly check a candidate’s professional and criminal history before making a hiring decision.

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