Should I Background Check a Job Candidate? 7 Checks To Consider When You’re Hiring

Ready to make a job offer to that star candidate who ticked all the boxes? Before you do that, you’ll want to run a few background checks on them – just to make sure everything is above board.

Not sure what sort of checks to run? Our handy guide will show you the types of checks available for New Zealand businesses, and what you should get for your situation.

Looking to run a background check? Click here.

 

Criminal Background Check (a.k.a. Criminal History Check)

 

Why run a criminal history check?

Any employer should run a criminal history check on their prospective employees. A lot of companies require this as part of their HR policy, but it’s a good idea to run one regardless.

Knowing your candidate’s criminal history before you formally offer the job means you can have peace of mind knowing you hired the right person.

What information does a criminal history check show?

The full report provided by the Ministry of Justice shows any criminal or traffic convictions, as well as sentencing from court appearances.

It doesn’t show any court appearances in cases where the person was found to be not guilty.

It also doesn’t show any convictions that have been concealed through the Clean Slate scheme. Generally, this applies if the person has had no convictions within the last seven years, and meets the other criteria of the scheme.

Who verifies this information?

Ministry of Justice.

 

Identity Check

 

Why run an identity check?

You need to make sure the person you’re interviewing is who they say they are. This is a good check to do with any job candidate, but especially if you are dealing with someone who you haven’t met in person.

What information does an identity check show?

An identity check will tell you if the person applying for the job matches the person on the ID that they provided, and that the signatures are the same. The report simply says if this is true or not.

Who verifies this information?

This is done by the MyChecks team who carefully review the ID, selfie, and signature provided by each candidate.

MyChecks offers identity checking for free with all criminal history checks.

 

Credit Check

 

Why run a credit check?

A credit check should be a go-to for any candidate who may be responsible for handling money and will help you minimise your financial risk.

What information does a credit check show?

Credit score.

The key part of the report is the credit score – this is a number between 0 and 1000 which indicates how likely someone is to pay their bills on time.

Current debt.

This is any current home loans, credit cards, personal loans or other debt that the person has now.

Credit history.

This is a history of bill payments plus any defaults, court judgements, summons or bankruptcy.

Who verifies this information?

This is done by credit bureaus in New Zealand.

 

Driver Licence Check

 

Why run a driver licence check?

If you’re hiring for a role which may need to travel, either in a car or a goods vehicle, you’ll want to make sure your candidate has a valid licence to drive.

What information does a driver licence check show?

  • The date the licence was obtained
  • Whether the licence is currently valid or not
  • The class & stage that the licence covers
  • Any licence conditions

Who verifies this information?

NZ Transport Agency.

 

Work History Check

 

Why run a work history check?

By verifying that a candidate worked where they said they did and did the role they claim means you can trust they have the right experience.

What information does a work history check show?

This will tell you whether the candidate worked at each of the employers they list on their CV, or just those which you request to be checked.

The dates they worked there, and the role they held will also be confirmed and shown as verified or not.

Who verifies this information?

This is done by the MyChecks team who will contact previous employers to confirm the candidate’s work history.

 

Qualifications Check

 

Why run a qualifications check?

Sometimes a qualification is a pre-requisite to a role, so it’s essential to feel confident that the candidate has the necessary skills and knowledge to excel at the role. This could be anything from a certificate to a PhD. A qualifications check is especially important if you’re hiring a graduate or someone who is relatively new to the workforce.

What information does a qualifications check show?

The three key points that need to be confirmed about the candidate’s qualifications are:

  • The name of the qualification obtained
  • When it was obtained
  • The university or institute who issued the qualification

Who verifies this information?

This is done by the MyChecks team who will contact the institutes listed by the candidate.

 

Accident Compensation Check

 

Why run an accident compensation check?

Get peace of mind that your candidate is fit to work in a particular role, especially if it’s a physically demanding job.

What information does a report give me?

You’ll get information about the candidate’s claim history, if they have one, including:

    • Detail about the injuries
    • When they happened
    • Status and type of claim
    • Whether they had to take time off work.

Who verifies this information?

ACC.

 

Click here to run a background check

Resource Centre

Your guide to background checks

Download the guide to understand:

  • Which background checks to run
  • Why run them
  • What they show
  • Who the issuing authority in New Zealand is

Please note that MyChecks is closing at the end of 2023

We would like to thank you for your support over the past 3 years.

Key dates:
– Last day for requesting a check is Friday 22nd December 2023
– Last day to access and download your checks Friday 19 January 2024

We understand that you will need to find an alternate supplier to complete your background checks. We recommend Checkmate, a NZ based background checking business. You can find them at www.checkmate.tech
Download Your Guide To Background Checks