If you’re considering a career as a security guard then a security company needs to know that you’re serious about taking on the two most important security guard duties, namely to protect the people and the property who are placed in your care, before they consider hiring you. It’s also important that you don’t have any skeletons in the closet which could cause any legal issues further down the line for the company. We thought we’d put together this post so that both security professionals and our clients understand the importance of security background checks.
There are 3 main reasons that background checks are important:
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Honesty
It’s not unknown for people to lie about their qualifications in order to gain employment, but be aware that whatever information you enter on your resume, we will double check to confirm the accuracy of what you say and that you do indeed have the qualifications you claim.
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Protection
Regardless of whether or not a company is aware that the person sitting in front of them is a convicted criminal, in the event of something bad occurring, their background may be used against them and there is a chance that the security company could be sued.
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Validates insurance claims
In the event that a company has hired a guard who has been convicted for theft in the past, then any insurance claims for stolen property will be invalid.
Background checks can reveal a lot about a person and impact on whether or not they’re regarded as suitable for the position they are applying for. Typically there are two occasions when you can expect to be subjected to a background check and that’s before a state issues your guard card and before a company hires you.
Mandatory state checks
Some states will take into account extenuating circumstances but the majority of states will not issue a security guard card if you have a criminal record.
Employer checks
Smaller security companies tend to rely on a state’s background checks and licensing requirements to ensure that security guards are legitimate and above board, and provided you have your guard card, then you’re good to go.
Larger security companies typically carry out more in-depth checks for the reason that they are more likely to be offering more specialised services such as protected deliveries and armed guards. Depending on what the security post involves, then more intrusive back ground checks will be carried out.
What can you expect an employer to check for?
This varies from one company to another but typically an employer will check out the following:
- Previous addresses and employment
- Sex offender databases
- Criminal background checks to see if you have any convictions
- Credit checks
- Driving records to avoid the company being held liable in the event of an accident
A security job is not one that can be taken lightly, after all you will be the first point of defense in the event of anything bad occurring. Companies depend on you for the safety of their employees, customers, and property, so being subjected to a background check really is a small price to pay when you consider all that is at stake.
If you’re looking for a security guard or guards that you can trust then look no further than MA Security Guards. We carry out thorough background checks on all our guards, are based throughout Australia and have extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of security. To find out how we can help you please give us a call on 03 9339 3500.
