Security Clearances and Background Checks
There are many aspects to the security profession that are going to be essential for success. One of the main things that is crucial for any security company is to choose the right kind of staff. Not being able to ensure security clearance and background checks to hire the best security professionals.
When a company is searching for the best and most reliable professionals, they need to start by doing an extensive background check. The security clearance level of their staff will depend on how sensitive their position is within the organization.
The background check is usually a very specific search on both criminal records and credit history of a person. The reason why the credit history is important is that it reveals a lot about the person’s financial standing.
If someone has a low credit score, they cannot be seen as optimal for security due to the level of uncertainty of their financial habits. This may seem like an intrusive check to some people, but this level of scrutiny is common when hiring someone for a position in any kind of security related job.
Why is it necessary for security companies to run background checks?
Very few professions can require background checks as much as anything related to security. If a person turns out with a criminal record of any kind, their credibility and they fail in their ability to earn the trust of other security staff.
Not only that, but it also becomes difficult for any security firm or company to hire their services. This is more relevant for security companies than many other types of organizations.
The main reason is that security staff will be handling the safety of individuals or groups of people. This means that they need to show a level of reliability that is nothing short of outstanding.
This is why both the employer and the employee need to commit to this process and embrace it. There are several situations in which a background check may reveal some minor mishap. The severity of the issue will play a role in the level of impact it has when choosing an employee. Mainly one that works as a security service provider.
The most common security background checks
There are several things that are checked when a security background is performed. The main and most relevant are as follows:
- The applicants Social Security Number (SSN)
- The national criminal record
- Any sex offender charges
- The current address of the applicant with a verification
There are many ways to look at this process and the details checked on each of these aspects will depend on the industry. When it comes to security, the checks are usually a bit more rigorous.
This is one of the main reasons why it is so relevant that security workers have an impeccable record. The only way for someone to rise in the private security sector is to have a clean record. Perhaps some exceptions occur and this depends on the nature of the crime.
The consequences of not ruining background checks on security workers
There are many situations that are going to create serious issues when it comes to a lack of background checking. For example, if a private security company hires an employee with a criminal record such as a registered sex offender.
This person is more likely to commit another offense in the future even if they have served their time. Very few crimes are as recurrent after jail or rehabilitation as sexual crimes. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to understand how this affects the organization.
When you run a proper background check, you are preventing the possibility of a recurring crime. There is no bulletproof way to guarantee that a security professional is not going to engage in criminal activities. The good news is that background checks do an excellent job at lowering the chances of this happening.
The main thing to keep in mind is that many criminals and specially sex offenders have managed to avoid conviction. This is the reason why we made the comment on this not being a bulletproof method.
Security companies are also likely to want to conduct psychological tests. This will prove to be ideal in order to determine the current mental state of any potential employee. The process of psychological evaluation is often a requirement for jobs in this sector. The candidate can decline this, but this would mean they would not be eligible for the position.
It would also seem like a very suspicious thing for anyone in this field to reject a psychological evaluation. Some people may find this to be a private issue, but not in this line of business.
There are too many repercussions to a lack of proper background checking. This alone makes it essential for all companies looking to hire security to run those checks.
The need for checks when hiring an independent private security professional
There are situations in which a private security professional will be hired by an individual. When this happens, it is essential that the employer takes the time to run a background check.
The main issue with this strategy is that it can be hard for the individual to know where to run these checks. This is why it is usually a much better idea to hire private security through the use of an agency, firm, or company. The only way to guarantee the best results is by ensuring that there are proper background checks involved.
Final thoughts on security clearances and background checks
There are many private security job opportunities that require background checks. Even the most simplistic security jobs could end up requiring this, so it is essential to comply in order to find work.
The good news is that this is not going to be a process that requires any effort on the side of the potential employee. All companies and organizations looking to hire need to be responsible for this process.
By Joseph Sordi, Chief Executive Officer
Strategic Security Corp.
