The demand for background checks is on the rise.
According to Time Magazine, the FBI completed more than 2.1 million background checks for gun purchases in June 2016. This is an increase of 40 percent over 2015, and experts are pointing to the June 12 shooting in Orlando, where 49 people were killed, as the cause of this spike.
These FBI background checks are initiated anytime someone tries to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed gun dealer.
“Mass shootings and acts of terrorism tend to spark increased gun sales because Americans fear for their safety and also because gun advocates worry that the mass shooting will initiate stricter gun control,” writes Time Magazine’s Rosalie Chan.
Mass shooting and acts of terrorism also tend to spark an increase in background checks more broadly.
As employers and HR specialists are becoming increasingly worried about workplace violence, as landlords become increasingly concerned about the backgrounds of their tenants, and as those in the dating world are becoming increasingly anxious about whether or not a would-be-lover is indeed who they say they are.
Consider out these statistics compiled by HireRight:
False Information
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53% of all job applications contain inaccurate information.
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In a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, 49% of the 3,100 hiring managers surveyed had caught a job applicant fabricating some part of his/her resume.
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34% of all application forms contain outright lies about experience, education, and ability to perform essential functions on the job.
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9% of job applicants falsely claimed they had a college degree, listed false employers, or identified jobs that didn’t exist.
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11% of job applicants misrepresented why they left a former employer.
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Nearly one-third of job applications listed dates of employment that were inaccurate by more than three months.
On-The-Job Violence
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Up to 5% of American workplaces experience a workplace violence episode annually.
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FBI Studies estimate nearly 355,000 businesses will experience a workplace violence episode in any given year.
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13% of the 5,840 workplace fatalities that happened in 2006 were the result of assaults and violent acts.
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There were 11,613 workplace homicide victims between 1992 and 2006, averaging just under 800 homicides per year.
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Of those establishments reporting an incident of workplace violence in the previous 12 months, 21% reported that the incident affected the fear level of their employees and employee morale.
Employee Theft
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In 2008, the majority of retail shrinkage was due to employee theft at $15.9 billion, which represented almost half of losses (44%).
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In 2008, the average employee theft case was $2,672.
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30% of all business failures are caused by employee theft.
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In 2007, one in every 28.2 employees was apprehended for theft from their employer.
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The FBI calls employee theft the fastest growing crime in America. 55% of perpetrators of employee theft are managers.
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75% of all employees steal at least once.
Drugs
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More than 75% of substance abusers are employed.
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In 2007, 8.4% of those employed full-time were current illicit drug users, and 8.8% reported heavy alcohol use.
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Substance abusers change jobs as frequently as 3 times a year.
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Substance abusers are at least 33% less productive.
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Substance abusers are 2.5 times more likely to be absent 8+ days a year.
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Drug abusers cost twice as much in medical and worker comp claims as drug-free workers.
Bad Hires
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Negligent hiring cases have had verdicts of up to $40 million.
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The average settlement of a negligent hiring lawsuit is nearly $1 million.
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Employers have lost more than 79% of negligent hiring cases.*Source: Fortune, 2/00
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It costs $7,000 to replace a salaried employee, $10,000 to replace a mid-level employee and $40,000 to replace a senior executive.
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The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the average cost of a bad hiring decision can equal 30% of the first year’s potential earnings.
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Replacing supervisory, technical and management personnel can cost from 50 to several hundred percent of the person’s salary.
Hiring an experienced investigations firm that is adept in conducting complete and thorough background checks from the ground up is the best first step in safeguarding against false information, workplace violence, employee theft, drugs in the workplace, and bad hires.
Be sure to visit our website for more information.