Employees play a very important role when it comes to the success of a business. Good employees can help your business build a good reputation, have loyal customers, and earn more money. Similarly, bad employees could lead to the downfall of a business. While there are many factors to consider when hiring an employee – qualifications, education, etc. – one of the most important factors is whether or not they are trustworthy. If there isn’t trust between an employer and employee, or amongst employees, the business will likely fail. However, if you’re just starting a business, you might not always know which signs to look out for when it comes to telling if an employee is trustworthy or not.

Background checks

People can change, there’s no denying that. Just because someone has a criminal record doesn’t mean you should automatically not hire them. But it’s still a good idea to know what an employee’s criminal history is, and whether they have any criminal convictions. You can then make an informed decision on whether you trust them to enter your company based on what you know. If you do end up hiring them, you can offer them the support they need to stay on the right track. DBS checks will help you a lot. If you’re asking, “What are DBS checks?”, you’re not alone. To sum it up, it’s a compilation of a person’s criminal convictions.

Psychometric testing

Psychometric tests are incredibly popular in industries where confidentiality and integrity are of the utmost importance – such as where people work in law enforcement, or with large sums of money. Psychometric tests are tests that test the psychology of possible employees. At the end of the test, you will receive a report detailing things like integrity, level of manipulation, and a whole host of other information, depending on the test itself. This will give you a better idea of how likely an employee is to betray your trust.

Reference checks

When people go for interviews, they are often on their best behavior. This means that you may not always get an accurate representation of what it would be like to have them work for you. The best way to gain a deeper understanding of this is to do a reference check. Call up their past employers and ask them a few questions. Trust us, this will teach you more about the prospective employee than any interview.

Follow your instinct

This may sound slightly out there, but if your instinct is telling you that something is wrong, it’s probably right. What we consider instinct is often our brains picking up on a bunch of small details in a very short time. This is why we often can’t pinpoint exactly why something feels wrong, we just know that it’s wrong. We’re not saying you should only follow your instincts and ignore everything else, but it can be a helpful guide if you’re at a crossroads. Still not convinced? You can learn more about why you should trust your gut here.