Employee Screening and the Global Terrorist Watch List
As if employers didn’t have enough headaches to worry about, employee screening can be seen as yet another burden. Employers come to us seeking an outstanding employee screening service, and they work with us to create a better system of employee background checks before, during, and even after the hiring decision. It’s a lot like insurance: you need it, and you want it to work, and when it works properly “nothing happens.” Of course, 99% of your employees will be fine… but the problem is knowing who can be the problem. Indeed, you’d be happy if 100% of your employee hires pass background checks with flying colors and that can often happen. Like insurance, it’s a service that you need and want “just in case,” but you’re actually happy if it isn’t (really) needed.
Screening Employees for Terrorism
Which brings us to the global terrorist watch list and employee screening. Despite the high profile headlines on global terrorism and this summer’s tragic shootings, the reality is that this isn’t the #1 problem employers face. It’s another thing to do, and to check off, and when done right… you’re actually happy if you NEVER have a potential hire who turns up as on the list. Not to mention false positives, which become just another headache as many people have the “same name.” (We can help with that, too).
However, you don’t know an employee will pass until they are thoroughly checked! That’s where we come in. For many employers – especially in sensitive areas such as aviation – it’s a requirement to check employee hires against the global terrorist watch list and other lists maintained by the government of those suspected of terrorist-leaning ideologies or past activities. Terrorism can be very broadly defined, of course, and it’s not like everyone who might become a terrorist is going to announce it to you. No background check can prevent something that hasn’t happened yet. But it can check against known databases of known terrorists.
So, like insurance, it’s something that you want and need, but you’ll be pretty happy if it turns up as a “zero.” If this is an employee check that you need, or that you’re subject to because of regulatory requirements, we can work with you on a solution. And remember – it’s just one piece of a total employee screening solution.