创办自己的企业的想法并没有失去吸引力，这一点从不仅在硅谷而且在世界各地涌现的初创公司数量不断增加中可见一斑。最重要的是，三分之二的初创公司认为 2018 年将继续是富有成效的一年，初创公司的招聘数量达到五年来的最高水平。筹款比以往任何时候都容易（根据2018 年硅谷银行创业展望美国报告），很容易理解为什么许多企业家选择现在开展他们的新业务。但是，当开始自己创业的旋风开始时，请记住在预算中为背景调查留出空间。
初创公司面临的风险是巨大的。最近的统计数据表明，超过一半的企业在前五年失败，十年后超过 70% 的企业失败。不难看出原因。大多数初创公司都是自筹资金，或者至少主要依靠创始人的个人资金。把它放在狭隘的预算和竞争激烈的市场之上，突然间每一个失误都很重要。
选择提供最大价值的背景调查提供商
那么哪个失误的代价最大呢？在查看常见的创业失败清单时，一个方面会全面出现：糟糕的招聘。一些研究称其为“团队之间的差异”，另一些研究称其为“无能”或“员工不兼容”，但归根结底是这家初创公司带错了人。
根据 SHRM 的估计，糟糕的招聘可能会使成熟的公司损失高达 240,000 美元，我们之前在我们的博客上讨论过这一点。想象一下，这种规模的损失将如何影响一个全新的业务。
初创公司如何在问题开始前解决问题
确保您的启动预算包括背景筛选计划。好消息是背景调查不一定很困难，甚至不需要很昂贵。强大而实用的筛选计划可以帮助您在正确的时间雇用正确的人。
初创公司尤其需要能够信任他们的员工。一家弃儿公司需要尽可能最好的支持，雇用具有虚假教育或虚构工作经验的人可能会让您遇到一个在能力至关重要的时候不知道自己在做什么的员工。如果招聘疏忽成为问题，再加上诉讼风险，背景调查成为保护初创公司在最脆弱时期的一种经济高效的方式。
一些需要考虑的产品
犯罪历史检查： 该产品是绝大多数筛查程序的骨架结构。了解潜在员工的历史并评估他们可能对您的创业公司构成的风险。您不仅可以保护您的业务，还可以避免代价高昂的错误。
机动车记录 (MVR)： 出于商业原因，您是否打算让任何人在公司车辆中驾驶任何地方？不要发现您的公司因疏忽而对损害负责。MVR 可以发现酒驾和其他相关指标，表明申请人可能不适合工作。
教育/就业验证： 我们之前提到过，初创公司尤其需要能够相信员工拥有他们声称拥有的知识和经验。就在最近，一位竞选佛罗里达州议会议员的候选人因关于她的教育而精心撒谎，被迫退出竞选。如果有人在寻求具有如此公众知名度的职位的人愿意撒谎，那么以新员工的透明度为赌注可能是一个愚蠢的赌注。
参考检查： 如果您在去年打开新闻，您就会意识到工作场所的行为和道德问题前所未有地成为人们关注的焦点。特别是对于刚起步的公司来说，从前任老板或同事那里获得有关候选人工作精神和生产力的第一手信息是非常宝贵的。
药物测试： 这是不言自明的，尤其是当谷歌搜索“阿片类药物危机”时，即使是我们中最难对付的人。但请确保您的药物检测程序是最新的，并且您不会浪费金钱检测那些不再流通的物质。
对于创业者来说，这是激动人心的时刻，但是当您的公司处于起步阶段时，请确保您引入的支持它的人得到了适当的筛选——包括您的 C 级主管。这个简单的步骤不仅可以为您节省很多悲伤，还可以节省金钱和时间。您甚至可能会发现，您的背景筛查计划是迄今为止您为公司所做的最佳投资。
two out of three startups believe that 2018 will continue to be a productive year, with the number of startups hiring at a five year high. With fundraising easier than ever (according to the 2018 Silicon Valley Bank Startup Outlook US Report), it’s easy to see why many entrepreneurs are choosing now to launch their new businesses. But when the whirlwind of starting your own business begins, remember to make room in your budget for background checks.
The risks that startups face are significant. Recent statistics state that over half of businesses fail in the first five years, and over 70% fail after ten. It’s not hard to see why. Most startups are self-funded, or at least rely largely on the personal funds of the founder. Put that on top of shoestring budgets and highly competitive markets and suddenly every misstep matters.
Selecting the Background Check Provider that Delivers the Greatest Value
So which misstep is the most costly? When looking at lists of common startup failures, one aspect shows up across the board: bad hires. Some studies call it “disparity amongst teams”, others “incompetence” or “employee incompatibility”, but what it boils down to is that the startup brought the wrong people on board.
According to SHRM estimates, bad hires can cost well-established companies as much as $240,000, which we’ve previously discussed on our blog. Imagine how a loss that size would affect a brand new business.
How Startups Can Stop the Problem Before it Starts
Make absolutely certain that your startup budget includes a background screening program. The good news is that background checks don’t have to be difficult, or even expensive. A robust and practical screening program can help you hire the right people at the right time.
Startups especially need to be able to trust their hires. A foundling company needs the best support possible, and hiring someone with falsified education or made-up work experience can land you with an employee who has no idea what they’re doing at a time when competence is essential. Couple this with the risk of litigation should hiring negligence become an issue, and background checks become a cost-efficient way to protect your startup during its most vulnerable years.
Some Products to Consider
Criminal History Check: This product is the skeletal structure of the vast majority of screening programs. Know the history of your potential employees and evaluate the risk they may pose to your startup. Not only will you be protecting your business, you may be able to avoid costly mistakes.
Motor Vehicle Records (MVR): Are you planning to have anyone drive anywhere in a company vehicle for business reasons? Don’t find yourself in a situation where your company is responsible for damages because of negligence. An MVR can uncover DUIs and other concerning indicators that an applicant may not be the best fit for a job.
Education/Employment Verification: We mentioned earlier that startups in particular need to be able to trust that an employee has the knowledge and experience they claim to possess. Just recently, a candidate running for the Florida state House was caught in an elaborate lie about her education and was forced to drop out of the race. If someone seeking a position with such public visibility is willing to lie, gambling on a new hire’s transparency may be a sucker bet.
Reference Checks: If you’ve turned on the news in the last year, you’re aware that issues of behavior and ethics in the workplace are in the spotlight like never before. Particularly for a company just getting off the ground, getting first-hand info on a candidate’s work ethos and productivity from a former boss or peer can be invaluable.
Drug Testing: This one is pretty self-explanatory, especially when Googling “opioid crisis” puts even the hardest of us on edge. But make sure that your drug testing program is up-to-date and that you aren’t wasting money testing for substances that simply aren’t in circulation anymore.
These are exciting times for entrepreneurs, but when your company is in its fledgling stages, make sure that the folks you’re bringing in to support it are properly screened – including your c-level executives. This simple step can save you not only a lot of grief, but also money and time. You may even find that your background screening program is the best investment you’ve made for your company to date.
