How to Limit Database Searches to a Candidate’s Professional Background

Everyone has a certain idea about the type of people they want working for them. You want candidates who are stable, efficient, productive, and trustworthy. You should be able to trust them to do their job well and be loyal to you in all business situations. It’s pretty normal to want all these things. However, it’s not the same thing to want your candidate to be a certain age or sex; you can’t hire people on the basis of their race or sexual orientation. If you hire someone based on these criteria, then you are being discriminatory. Learn more about how to limit database searches to a candidate’s professional background.

Don’t Put Your Company at Risk with Unwarranted Background Checks

Nowadays, of course, it’s very easy to look someone up and get more information about them via background checks or even social media. But you can’t let your knowledge of a person’s personal preferences or race influence you when hiring them.

Remember that doing so will put you and your company at risk. If you end up firing them within six months, and they sue you for discriminating behavior, they will be able to use your actions against you. If they find out, for example, that you looked up their marital records and found out that they were in a same sex marriage and that you fired them soon after, then they might claim that one influenced the other, whether it’s true or not.

Things to Investigate About a Candidate and Things to Avoid

So it’s best to limit your database searches to the things that actually matter when it comes to how they’re going to perform their job. You are within your rights to find out whether they have an arrest record. You can also find out their employment and education history.

But don’t try to figure out their personal preferences or their race. Don’t try to figure out who they voted for or are likely to vote for in the future. Whether a candidate is married and has kids should not have any bearing on how they do their job either. And you can’t fault someone for being related to someone who might have committed a crime.