Is it OK to judge people by the first impression they make? Maybe yes, maybe no, but for people working in HR instincts are very important. A good recruiting agent will have an idea about the person in front of them by the way they walk or shake hands. However, that is not enough. You have a lot of responsibility when you bring new people into an organisation.
Many Australian businesses have come to employ background checks as a routine part of their pre-employment strategy. They also use social media checks, which reveal a lot of information about a person’s lifestyle. And sometimes, after checking on a candidate’s lifestyle it’s easy to tell that they won’t have a criminal record. How is this possible?
Health-conscious people are more likely to pass a background check
Besides educational and employment history, when they read a candidate’s CV, recruiting agents are very interested in the ‘About me’ part, where people talk about their hobbies and passions. When someone writes they’re interested in jogging or a team sport that they practise regularly, you can already tell that’s a person who takes great care about their health and they keep physically active. Chances are they’re not the sort of person that has a dangerous entourage and engages in antisocial behaviors.
Can you imagine working up a sweat with a two-hour jog and then they put on a hoodie and go about robbing banks? Not really. A fitness maniac will probably go home, take a shower and then prepare a big salad for their evening meal.
The same goes for people who are very much into spiritual wellness and have a passion for healing energies and getting in touch with nature. Not your regular criminal type, so they’re less likely to have a criminal history.
Why does checking social media accounts matter?
If there’s one thing you learn when working in HR it’s that people often lie on their resumes. Not necessarily big lies, but there’s a certain tendency to embellish facts. Someone might say they’re into traveling, outdoor activities and sports because they simply don’t know what to say about themselves. This is why savvy HR managers make a point of googling a candidate and snooping around on social media platforms.
What people reveal on their Facebook and Instagram accounts tells you a lot about who they really are. Let’s say a candidate writes on their resume that they’re interested in a healthy lifestyle. Yet, when you check their Facebook account all you find are pictures of them hanging out in seedy bars with a beer in front of them. Doesn’t look like someone you can trust.
The importance of police checks
Now comes the final test, because in HR you need to make certain your first impression checks out. Many companies rely on online character checks agencies like Australian national character check, who work very fast and offer 100% valid police checks.
When it comes to people with a healthy lifestyle, people with a steady job and a nice family you can be almost certain the check will come back clean.
On the other hand, when you’re already a bit suspicious of a certain candidate, a quick background check might reveal they do have a criminal record. You don’t have to assume it’s a hardened criminal, but they might have some drunk driving conviction or maybe a violent offence, just enough to make you wonder if it’s the kind of person you want to hire.
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