Chances are your cleaning company employees work in buildings after hours and have access to areas that may hold confidential information or valuables. How can you be sure the employees you hire can be trusted when working unsupervised? Paying close attention during the interview will help, but another tool you can use is the employee background check.

More companies than ever are doing background checks on new employees. There are several reasons for this:

1. According to the Society of Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Virginia, 37% of all applicants put some false information on applications and resumes and 65% of resumes are enhanced or exaggerated.

2. Lawsuits for "negligent hiring" are on the rise. If one of your employees hurts someone you can be held liable.

3. Current events, such as high profile child abuse and abduction cases, the terrorist attacks of 9-11, and the scandals of executives have created concerns when recruiting and hiring new employees.

4. Federal and state laws require background checks of people working in certain situations, including working with children, the elderly and disabled individuals. Plus some cleaning contracts will require you to perform background checks on your employees if you want to gain the contract.

The types of background checks performed can vary, but they typically include:

Employment verification

Education verification

Criminal history

Driving and motor vehicle records

Credit history

Military background

Verifying references

Drug testing

Requiring prospective employees to complete a comprehensive job application will also help in pointing out gaps in employment and other questionable details. Make sure your application form requires the following information: the applicant's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number (SSN), dates and places of previous employment, and any training or educational certificates received. It is also important to verify the person's identification. Make a copy of the person's driver's license and social security card to keep on file.

Background checks can be a complicated practice as different states allow you to collect different types of information. You are required to get written consent from the employee before performing background checks. Remember to treat all potential employees in the same manner by requiring a standard background check. If you run a random criminal background check on only one or selected employees, you may have created the basis for a discrimination suit against your company.

If you are uncertain about what you can legally do when researching an employee's background, consider hiring a firm that specializes in performing background checks. The price for hiring a firm varies depending on the services and how extensive of a background check they perform.

You as an employer can be held liable for accidents and crimes committed by your employees. Doing background checks can provide you with peace of mind as well as a valuable marketing tool. Letting your customers and potential customers know you perform background checks can be that extra hook that lands the account.