News
September 27, 2022
Using Background Screening Monitoring Services to Better Manage Remote Workers
Over 2 years ago, most workers across the globe were forced into a remote state. While some companies were eager to get back into the office, plenty of organizations decided to embrace working from home (or anywhere!). But it begs the question: how exactly do you keep up-to-date with an individual you may only Zoom with once a week? In this month’s article, we dissect how monitoring might be the best route to keep an eye on remote employees.
Below, we’ll break down three examples that could happen to your team members and how monitoring could mitigate your risk.
Employee A decides to go joyriding in a stolen car. They are arrested and charged with grand theft auto.
Of course, if Employee A doesn’t show up to the office the next morning, it’ll be obvious. The difference is that you don’t have that option as it comes to remote workers. If they bail themselves out immediately, they’ll be right back at home without anyone on your team noticing. Even if they get house arrest for any crime, they’ll be able to work from home without problem: their camera certainly won’t show an ankle monitor on their person.
Without some sort of alert to let you know that they have been charged, they can continue to work without any repercussions. Your only option should not be an admission that someone may never give you about possible wrongdoing. That’s where criminal monitoring comes into play. Ongoing monitoring can shed light on what could have happened beyond someone’s hiring date, to ensure the safety and efficiency of your employees hasn’t changed. You’ll still be in compliance with the FCRA, whereas a quick Google search to see if someone was arrested during vacation is not; it’s why utilizing a background check company is so important!
With so many different criminal monitoring variations out there, there’s an option that fits any need your team might have. Ongoing monitoring is nationwide, save for California due to compliance reasons, and will continue to grow in popularity with our ever-transforming industry.
Employee B’s productivity has begun to slip. It takes hours for them to respond to e-mails, and they seem uninterested in meetings when you hop on the webcam. Out of nowhere, they quit, claiming they’ve been too stressed.
Chances are, your HR team will be alerted if there’s a change in attitude when an employee notices it in their colleague. After all, you spend around 40 hours with your coworkers in the same space: it’ll be a red flag if someone who comes in the office with a totally different disposition than normal. That may prompt you to have a meeting with the individual due to behavioral changes. But how can you keep up with remote workers that can only show you a certain picture of themselves?
The sure-fire way of looking into someone’s world with a magnifying glass is social media screening. This background check tool is one of the quickest rising amongst all products, and that’s simply because almost everyone in the workforce holds a digital footprint now. The above example could have been alerted with monitored social media screening: perhaps the individual would have expressed their quickly changing distaste for the company.
With social media monitoring you’ll be able to see trends that you wouldn’t have had access to before. It’s important to note that glancing at social media during your lunch break can be a violation of the FCRA, as you’re unable to redact class information. It’s why we’ve offered it as a means to mitigate risk to your company. You can read more about our social media screening here.
Employee C has been making mistake after mistake in their workload. Eventually, an error is big enough to cause a client to switch companies. During the subsequent disciplinary action, Employee C slurs their words and seems distracted.
It’s difficult to only see someone a handful of minutes in a week and really understand where they’re at physically, mentally, and emotionally. If the above instance occurred in-person, you’d be able to note that they may be under the influence. There are plenty of red flags to witness: lethargy, mood swings, and even physical telltale signs (bloodshot eyes, weight gain or loss, and many others).
But a shift in your employee’s health, and how they take care of themselves, may not be as noticeable while working remotely. It’s difficult to be suspicious of what you can’t see, which is why random drug testing has become more and more favored in a post-pandemic world. While it’s not exactly monitoring, it does give the company a consistent structure of making certain that employees are not utilizing illegal drugs, or are under the influence during work hours. Of course, there are plenty of other explanations for health changes in employees, but drug screening is an accessible solution to rule out anything nefarious.
Now, this isn’t to say remote workers are inherently more likely to need monitoring. But the truth is that you may miss cues over a webcam more often than you would if they were sitting in a desk next to you! No matter where your employee is working, it’s imperative to stay on top of any changes that may be occurring that could affect your company. The fact of the matter is that remote workers have a better chance of showing you the face that they want you to see: it’s up to your team to figure out the bigger picture. Whether that involves criminal, behavioral, or health changes as well as solutions to look into those shifts, we’re here to help. If you have any questions about monitoring, reach out to our support team today.