Jordan Ellis
Background checks are an important part of the hiring process in the hospitality industry, which includes lodging. They are conducted to ensure that candidates are suitable for the job and to mitigate against risks such as theft, fraud, workplace violence, drug abuse, and negligent hiring claims. While hotels are legally required to check the identity of their guests, comprehensive background checks on guests are less common. However, hotels should conduct checks for outstanding warrants and implement security measures to ensure the safety of their guests and property. Performing pre-employment background checks in the hospitality industry helps to verify a candidate's employment history, education qualifications, and criminal history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To ensure that the candidate is trustworthy, qualified, and suitable for the job |
| Information Requested | Pre-employment drug testing, criminal history checks, employment verification, education verification, social media checks |
| Benefits | Protects guests from violence and physical harm, reduces staff turnover, mitigates losses from theft or fraud, ensures a safe and secure working environment |
| Compliance | FCRA-compliant, must adhere to federal and state laws |
What You'll Learn
Employment verification
The employment verification process helps hiring managers in the hospitality industry make informed decisions by verifying applicants' claimed experience and identifying characteristics essential for delivering excellent customer service. This verification is particularly crucial given the face-to-face interactions between staff and customers in the hospitality sector, where the quality of service can significantly impact a business's reputation and profits.
By conducting employment verification, hiring managers can also assess an applicant's job stability and identify any red flags that may indicate a potential for violent behaviour, theft, or drug abuse. This is especially relevant in the hospitality industry, where employees often work with minimal supervision, handling sensitive information and representing the brand.
To ensure accuracy and efficiency, some companies offer proprietary software to conduct thorough background checks within a short timeframe. This software can automate employment verification, speeding up the process and reducing the time-consuming aspects of traditional pre-employment screening.
Additionally, employment verification can help hospitality businesses adhere to franchise standards for employee conduct and behaviour, ensuring a consistent customer experience across all franchises. Given the seasonal fluctuations in staff demand, especially in tourism, rapid and reliable background checks are essential to making quick employment decisions.
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Criminal history checks
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides guidelines for how far back criminal history information can be considered in hiring decisions. Under the FCRA, reporting agencies cannot disclose criminal history that did not result in a conviction and is older than seven years, except for positions paying over $75,000 annually.
Criminal background checks are especially crucial for positions that require trust and reliability, such as front desk personnel who are responsible for interacting with guests and maintaining the hotel's reputation. Additionally, roles that involve driving, such as bellhops or valet parking attendants, may require Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) checks to ensure they have clean driving records.
Hotels may also consider implementing advanced security technology, such as license plate scanners or facial recognition software, to identify guests with outstanding warrants or false identities. However, it is important to note that hotels should comply with legal regulations and respect guest privacy while conducting such checks.
By partnering with professional background check companies, hotels can gain access to comprehensive screening services that ensure compliance with legal regulations and protect the safety and security of their guests, staff, and property.
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Education verification
The hospitality industry is broad and includes businesses in tourism, travel, recreation, lodging, and food and beverages. Many positions within these businesses are largely unsupervised, making it very important to find loyal, trustworthy, and stable employees. Performing thorough pre-employment background checks for job applicants in the hospitality industry is important to mitigate against several risks, including losses from theft or fraud, workplace violence, drug abuse, and negligent hiring claims.
Verification Process
Compliance with Laws
When conducting education verification, employers must comply with applicable laws, such as privacy, notice, and consent requirements. In the United States, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student education records. Additionally, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs the use of information obtained through background checks and requires specific adverse action steps if employment is denied based on the results.
International Degrees
When verifying degrees earned outside the United States, employers may need to enlist a screening service provider and consult counsel to comply with international privacy and employment laws.
Diploma Mills
It is important to be cautious about diploma mills, which are essentially phony universities that sell fake degrees. When verifying international degrees, ensure the institution has recognition from a valid accreditation agency.
Timing of Verification
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Drug screening
Hotels and lodging businesses can implement employee drug testing by first understanding their local, state, and federal laws regarding workplace drug testing. With this knowledge, they can develop a clear, written drug testing policy outlining the procedures and expectations for their employees. This policy should be consistently enforced and communicated to all applicants and employees to ensure fairness and transparency.
A standard 5-panel drug test, for example, can detect common illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine (PCP), and amphetamines. Urine drug testing is the most common method due to its cost-effectiveness and established reliability. However, for a longer detection window, employers may opt for hair drug tests, which can reveal drug use up to 90 days prior.
In addition to pre-employment screening, drug testing programs in the hospitality industry may include random drug tests, testing based on reasonable suspicion, and post-incident testing after workplace accidents. These measures serve as a deterrent to substance users and help ensure a safe and professional environment for guests and employees alike.
It is worth noting that substance abuse has become somewhat normalized in the hospitality industry, with the "accommodations and food services" sector ranking the highest in illicit drug use among adults in the past month, at 19.1%. As a result, employers may inadvertently hire less reliable employees who are more prone to substance abuse, leading to increased theft, high employee turnover, aggression, and accidental overdoses. Therefore, comprehensive drug screening programs are essential to mitigate these risks and foster a trustworthy and stable workforce.
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Benefits of background checks
While it is unclear whether lodging hospitality management requires background checks, performing thorough pre-employment background checks for job applicants in the hospitality industry is important to mitigate against several risks, including losses from theft or fraud, workplace violence, drug abuse, and negligent hiring claims.
Comprehensive Insight
Background checks offer a comprehensive insight into an employment candidate's past, covering their work history, skills, education, and personality and character traits. This allows employers to make more informed decisions and improve overall hiring outcomes.
Improved Workforce Quality
Background checks help attract more qualified candidates and deter those with something to hide. They ensure that candidates' resumes are accurate and that they possess the necessary qualifications and experience for the role. This results in a stronger candidate pool and improved workforce quality over time.
Risk Mitigation
Background checks verify employment records and uncover illegal or criminal activity, helping to prevent theft, fraud, security issues, and instances of workplace violence. They protect companies from liability lawsuits and the potential financial losses resulting from dishonest employees, including negative publicity and lost wages.
Informed Decision-Making
Background checks provide employers with all the facts, allowing them to make fully informed decisions. This is especially crucial in industries with a higher legal and moral duty when vetting applicants, such as those working with vulnerable people or accessing sensitive information.
Compliance and Consistency
Conducting background checks helps employers comply with regulations and minimise hiring risks. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides guidance on considering criminal history, stating that decisions must be job-related and consistent with business necessity. Background checks aid in achieving this consistency and reducing potential compliance risks.
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Frequently asked questions
While not always legally mandated, background checks are standard practice in the lodging hospitality sector to ensure a safe, secure, and professional working environment.
Background checks help to mitigate risks such as losses from theft, fraud, workplace violence, drug abuse, and negligent hiring. They also ensure that employees are loyal, stable, and trustworthy, which is especially important as they often handle cash payments and sensitive customer information.
A background check for a lodging hospitality management position typically includes pre-employment drug testing, criminal history checks, employment verification, education verification, and social media checks.
Most background checks take a few days to a week to complete, but more thorough investigations, such as employment verification, may take longer.
Background checks can be performed by third-party consumer reporting agencies such as iProspectCheck and Global Verification Network, which offer FCRA-compliant and customizable screening packages for various positions in the hospitality industry.
