{"id":2617,"date":"2021-10-18T05:54:13","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T05:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cn7w3i4565-staging.onrocket.site\/?p=2617"},"modified":"2021-10-18T05:54:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T05:54:13","slug":"pre-employment-screening-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/pre-employment-screening-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-employment screening: Everything you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Pre-employment screening is an important part of recruitment at most organisations. Employers typically perform these screenings as part of the interview process to ensure they make the best possible hiring decision. In essence, it\u2019s a way for potential employers to get a thorough understanding of an applicant\u2019s background.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure what it entails and how to prepare for it, here\u2019s a look at what you need to know:<\/p>\n<h2>What is pre-employment screening?<\/h2>\n<p>Many people simply refer to it as a background check. These checks are verifications of the information candidates provide to potential employers and also reveals their background. Most employers use these processes to determine if you\u2019ll be able to handle sensitive and confidential information while ensuring you have the right skills for the job.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the role you\u2019re\u00a0 applying for, potential employers can one or more of the following checks:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Criminal record screen<\/strong> \u2013 These screens check records for any criminal offenses that an applicant might have against his or her name. In most cases, the recruiter will ask for a copy of your fingerprints so they can be used to run the search.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Public record screen<\/strong> \u2013 Can include records of vehicles, driving history, credit history, worker\u2019s compensation records, civil records, and sometimes even medical records.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Verification screen<\/strong> \u2013 This is used to verify the accuracy of the educational details you provided on your resume. It can also be used to verify previous employment, licenses and professional certifications, and any professional references.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Polygraph tests<\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019re applying for a role with a security services company or an organisation that manufactures or distributes controlled substances, you might be subject to a lie detector test.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pre-employment assessment<\/strong> \u2013 Your potential employer might require you to take a pre-employment test to ensure your abilities relate to the role you\u2019re applying for.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/audit-4576720_1280.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/audit-4576720_1280-1024x660.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/audit-4576720_1280-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/audit-4576720_1280-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/audit-4576720_1280-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/audit-4576720_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Preparing for pre-employment screening<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to best prepare yourself for the process:<\/p>\n<h4>#1 \u2013 Check your own background<\/h4>\n<p>If you order a background check report on yourself, it\u2019ll give you a good indication of what potential employers will observe on your records. It\u2019ll also give you the opportunity to report any inaccurate information that you might find.<\/p>\n<h4>#2 \u2013 Give your references a heads up<\/h4>\n<p>If you add professional references to your resume, it\u2019s only natural that potential employers might want to get in touch with them. Inform your referees that they can expect a call or email. This way, they can prepare for a conversation in which they can accurately verify your work history.<\/p>\n<h4>#3 \u2013 Review your socials<\/h4>\n<p>Recruiters tend to review social media accounts of applicants during the hiring process. Since you don\u2019t want your socials painting the wrong picture of you, it\u2019s important to review your accounts and change privacy settings if there are things you\u2019d like to keep private.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/assessment-6078645_1280.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2620\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/assessment-6078645_1280-1024x694.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/assessment-6078645_1280-1024x694.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/assessment-6078645_1280-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/assessment-6078645_1280-768x521.png 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/assessment-6078645_1280.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Preparing for pre-employment assessments<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ve already touched on the subject of pre-employment assessments. Many hiring managers use them to ensure candidates are the right fit for the specific role as well as the general company goals. These tests are usually objective and standardized. They serve as a great way to learn more about how a candidate will perform in the workplace.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the most common tests you can expect to encounter during the recruitment process:<\/p>\n<h4>Personality tests<\/h4>\n<p>These identify personality traits so your employer can determine if you\u2019ll fit the workplace culture. Some traits are also indicative of performance abilities for specific roles. The most common test in this niche is the Meyers Briggs Personality Indicator test.<\/p>\n<h4>Aptitude test<\/h4>\n<p>Aptitude tests measure a variety of cognitive abilities. However, the most common marker for these kinds of tests is assessing critical thinking. The majority of tests also place emphasis on the individual\u2019s ability to learn and apply new information.<\/p>\n<h4>Emotional intelligence tests<\/h4>\n<p>These tests indicate how easily people are able to form relationships and understand emotions. These abilities are critical in a variety of positions, so employers tend to pay attention to these results.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-2621\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/list-2389219_1280.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know a little more about pre-employment screening and the kind of tests out there, you have all the tools you need to best prepare yourself for the job interview! No interview lined up yet? Go ahead and search for your dream job on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/\">Adzuna\u2019s<\/a> listings today!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pre-employment screening is an important part of recruitment at most organisations. Employers typically perform these screenings as part of the interview process to ensure they make the best possible hiring decision. In essence, it\u2019s a way for potential employers to get a thorough understanding of an applicant\u2019s background. If you\u2019re not sure what it entails<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/pre-employment-screening-everything-you-need-to-know\/\"> Continued \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":2618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[471],"class_list":["post-2617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2617\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}