Want to tell your employees they’re not part of the team? Keep doing background checks once they’re hired.
In the past few days I’ve gotten several PR pitches to write about continuous employment background checks. How about this for an answer? No.
I understand that companies need to do background checks. People should have done what they said they did. They should have the education they say they have. They should be upstanding citizens. It ends there. Once they’re on the team, they’re on the team.
Note to HR: You’re not your employees’ parents. If you want to guarantee that you won’t ever have commitment from your employees, keep screening them. Tell them that you don’t trust them. That you have the right to test them and look into their background whenever you want.
I’m the parent of teenage boys. Here’s the best thing I ever said to them: I trust you. I do. They’ve haven’t disappointed me. You might want to consider saying that to your employees. Really, is it that hard?
[Photo credit: Atomic Shed]
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Right again, Frank! However, you couldn’t trust me as a teenager!
I get tired of agreeing with you all the time Frank so I will play the part of the loyal opposition today.
Depends. I think that the right filter is one of understanding the risk on both sides of the equation.
Are you employing neurosurgeons who run their fingers through other people’s little brainy parts? Are you employing people who handle large sums of cash or valuable property? Do your employees go into customers’ homes?
If you employ people who manage large amounts of risk, having some means to test or sample that they don’t party like Rush, or drink like Mel or fiduciary like Bernie, might not be so bad. In fact, being up front about it and letting the workforce know that your organization is less likely to be embarassed, or destroyed by that infamous “rogue employee”, might in fact bring them a bit more sleep at night.
Telling a work force, “we don’t trust you” is a hard message and likely a buzz kill. However, the “we care enough to protect our customers, shareholders and your livlihood” might not be so bad.
I have a newly minted teenager and a “tweener”. I can look them in the eye when I check on them and either diminish their freedom or privacy and say, “it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that I don’t trust the rest of the world.”
Bottom line, I am not sure on this one.
I would love to write more, but I want to finish the book I am reading, “Dick Cheney Teaches HR”.
@Bill As always, you make me think. I’ve been mulling this one all night. Risk the the word. We care is an important phrase, and one I left out (not being one for much subtlety). Thanks for the structured thinking on this.
Funny, I have to get back to “Jerry Garcia Teaches HR.”
Frank, you are right in spirit, so I won’t quibble with you. And… forget the books, you and I could teach HR in our spare time.
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