7 employee checks every tire dealer should do

Finding and retaining the best employees lie at the heart of every successful business — especially smaller operations — so when you’re hiring, you need to get it right. Employing the wrong person and having to replace them can cost your dealership thousands of dollars in advertising, training, lost productivity, management time, errors and low company morale.

Aside from reading résumés and interviewing candidates for a new position, background checks have an important part to play in selecting the best candidate. Here’s what you need to know and the kind of checks you should be doing before hiring.

Past employment

Your candidate will have listed their past employers and positions/roles, as well as how long they worked there. Your first port of call should be to contact the candidate’s references, who should be able to give reasonably in-depth information about them. You can also put in calls to other employers listed to confirm the details your potential worker has provided. This is crucial to ensuring they have the experience they claim to have.

Credit checks

Credit checks are one of the most common employer checks. However, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you must obtain an employee’s written consent before seeking their credit report.What’s more, if you decide not to hire someone based on information in the report, you must provide them a copy and let them know they have the right to challenge it under the FCRA.

Driving records

If driving a vehicle is necessary for the role (and in the tire industry, that’s likely), you’ll need a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) to check your applicant has a valid driver’s license, as well as details of any accidents and traffic offenses.

Workers’ compensation records

Workers’ compensation appeals are a matter of public record and information from a workers’ compensation appeal can be used in a hiring decision if you can show the applicant’s injury might interfere with their ability to perform required duties.

School records

Educational records like transcripts and recommendations are confidential and can only be released at the student’s request. However you can ask your candidate to supply evidence of academic achievements they have listed on their résumé.

Criminal records

This one is tricky. If your potential employee is handling money, for example, you might want to do a criminal history check. However there are strict laws governing to what extent a private employer can use an applicant’s criminal history in making hiring decisions. You’ll need to check with a lawyer or do further legal research before pursuing this.

Making sure you stay within the law and get it right

Laws and regulations on background checks for potential employees vary from state to state,and this affects what information you can ask for, what you can do with it and when you need consent from the candidate. There are also strict federal laws that mean you can't discriminate against a job seeker based on the information you might receive.

If you’re performing employee checks yourself, the Small Business Association’s Guide to Pre-Employment Background Checks is where you should start. If you’re not confident about doing it yourself, are short on time or want a really comprehensive background report, there are companies that specialize in background checks; however, you must inform the candidate that you are hiring someone to perform these checks, provide the name of the company and get the candidate’s written consent.

Check out Traction News’s other articles on writing a great job ad and why you should consider hiring a veteran.

Tagged: Employee checks

7 employee checks every tire dealer should do