Nearly three-quarters of today’s employers conduct background checks to give them the information they need to hire the most trustworthy candidates with confidence and avoid making costly, risk-heavy hiring errors.
You might wonder if hotel background checks are something you need for your hotel or motel, restaurant or tourism business. The fact is that businesses in all industries benefit from employment screenings, and that certainly includes hospitality industry background checks.
What Is a Hospitality Industry Background Check?
A professional hotel industry background check helps you gain key insights into a candidate’s background and character, and might consist of one or more screenings such as:
- Background checks
- Criminal histories
- Credit reports
- Driving record histories
- Sex offender registry searches
- Educational background checks
Personnel in your hospitality business who should undergo employment screenings include:
- Management
- Entertainers
- Cashiers
- Customer service workers
- Food service positions
Why Background Checks for Hospitality Are So Important
Whether you run a hotel, a resort, a restaurant or a cruise ship, you understand that your guests rely on you to provide them with enjoyment, relaxation and safety.
Your customers put their lives and personal belongings in your hands for a brief time, so it is vital that you honor their trust with all the security measures possible, and conducting initial and continuous background screenings is an excellent step in doing that.
Let’s look more closely at the reasons investing in background screenings is invaluable to your business.
1. Ensures That You Hire Candidates With the Right Background, Experience and Education or Training
You need to know that you are hiring the person each candidate represents him- or herself as to provide the best guest experience possible. Think about chefs in top restaurants, for instance. Guests count on management to hire the best talent with impeccable and verifiable credentials.
2. Prevents Fraud and Identity Theft
Unfortunately, there will always be people who want to take advantage of all that hospitality offers guests and how much trust guests put in hospitality providers. Anyone taking a cruise or staying at a hotel or motel expects protection of their belongings and their identities from everyone, including your employees.
3. Protects Your Guests From Violence and Physical Harm
Your employees and guests also want to feel physically safe and secure. By working with a professional screening company, you can reduce your hospitality business’s risk by avoiding hiring a candidate with a history that reveals any potential for theft, violent behavior or drug-related issues.
Once again, taking this simple but crucial step will protect your employees and guests while also protecting your business from potential legal liability and a tarnished reputation.
How to Conduct a Background Check and What You Can Expect
Once you have developed a background check policy using industry best practices, here are some steps you should take:
- Decide which types of screenings you need, such as a criminal background, credit and driving record report.
- Determine how background check results will affect your hiring decisions to ensure consistency.
- Establish a regular time and frequency to conduct screenings.
- Check the laws to ensure compliance.
- Work with a professional screening service that can help you with all these steps and more.
A few things you might discover while conducting background checks include identity and address verification, driving history, criminal records, credit history, drug use and education confirmation.
Challenges Associated With Background Checks
Taking on background checks on your own can be challenging. If you don’t have the education, training and experience performing background checks, you might find incomplete and inaccurate reports. It is also challenging and time-consuming to handle the many and frequently updated legal regulations.
Are You Ready to Conduct Regular Hospitality Industry Background Checks?
It’s the perfect time to start conducting employment screenings for new-hires and existing employees in your hospitality business. Our team at Global Verification Network can help you develop your background check policies and conduct screenings with ease and professionalism.
Contact us to learn how we conduct thorough, professional background checks to keep your employees, guests and business safe.