5 things to avoid when hiring a new employee

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It's part of your job to hire, fire, and guide if you are a business owner or manager. However, you should also check certain critical aspects of the candidate before hiring. A potential employee's background may not need to be checked in every detail, but some regulations require them to be, such as residential status, criminal history and qualifications.

Not Renewing Certificates
Many sectors of the economy require a valid certification to work. Some of these sectors include nursing, teaching and construction. Employees who hold the necessary qualifications and experience can work in these sectors. For example, on a building site in the UK, you need to obtain a CSCS card application for each team member. Some sectors, however, are constantly evolving and require continuous training and education. Because of this, all licenses and certificates expire at a certain point. Therefore, before allowing an employee to begin working, it would be helpful to do everything you can to obtain the necessary credentials. 

Disregarding Testing
You may want to conduct a test during the interview phase to save time and money. You may choose to test the specific skills necessary for employment. When it turns out an employee isn't up to standard, you could spend a lot of time and money finding a replacement. For example, it would be a total waste of time for your restaurant if you spent two weeks looking for a sous chef. Then to find your new employee doesn't have basic knife skills. A quick test should generally reveal everything an employee knows or doesn't know about a role. 

Failure to Check Criminal History
A criminal background check is necessary for those working with vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities. And you might need a criminal record check based on your industry or business. But regardless of your sector, you can check each of your employees for criminal records. But in some cases, it's mandatory. Nevertheless, suppose a criminal history check results in a positive outcome. In that case, you can hire the employee as long as the crime has no relation to your business. For example, the fact that someone has been arrested for downloading music illegally does not mean they are abusive.

Not Verifying an Employee's Right to Work
Millions of illegal immigrants enter foreign countries every year, according to experts. Latinos and Central Americans migrate to the United States. French and British shores are also experiencing record numbers of displaced Middle Eastern refugees. Government placements can be found for many, but most undocumented immigrants arrive unemployed. Hiring illegal workers is punishable with harsh penalties, and you must verify their right to work at your company. Verification is essentially a matter of proving identity, address, and obtaining a government-issued number.

Taking Their Word for It
Lying on a CV isn't a crime but shouldn't be taken lightly. For some roles, verifying someone's skills and qualifications on their CV is vital. If you fail to do so, you may put others at risk. For example, if a candidate cannot safely handle a forklift truck, taking them at their word can be extremely dangerous. You can maximize safety in your workplace by checking any claimed skills by calling previous employers and checking references. Therefore, you should ask a candidate for manager or supervisor names, work phone numbers, and work email addresses.