Hiring the right person for your company requires an informed, thorough decision. But are you investing the same amount of consideration when hiring a volunteer?
If you’re not already conducting background checks on prospective volunteers, or just want to know more about it, check out this quick guide with 3 of the many reasons why you should start screening volunteers.
It protects your company
In the public’s eyes, volunteers are the face of your organization. Oftentimes volunteers actually work with the public sector more than your regular staff. How they represent themselves ultimately represents you. Because of this, volunteers pose a social liability. So conducting a quick background check during the application process is like taking out an insurance policy on your public image. It comes down to maximizing safety and minimizing risk for your company.
It protects your clients
Verifying the background of volunteers also protects your clients. Organizations that serve vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, the disabled, and other disadvantaged groups must go to greater lengths to guarantee the safety of their clients.
Some volunteers are simply not fit for the position. Unfortunately, that fact may be something only a background check will show. In this regard, you reduce (and in some cases eliminate) the possibility of endangering the people you’re meant to help.
You only hire the best
A concern many employers have is that requiring a background check will deter potential volunteer applicants. Candidates will understand when you explain why it’s important. If not, well, that typically indicates something in their background that makes them unsuitable for the position anyway. Instead of deterring qualified individuals you’re more likely to discourage predators seeking to do harm. The number of applicants might decrease but the number of good applicants will stay the same.
Alliance 2020 wants to see your company succeed. We provide individually tailored background check packages to fit your needs. That includes helping you verify the volunteers you’ll soon be employing.
We can help you make the same informed, thorough decision when hiring volunteers as you do with every other employee.