Hiring for Safety: Background Checks, Reference Calls, and Screening Protocols Stats and Facts

FACTS

• Hiring decisions are a critical component of child safeguarding.
• Most safeguarding failures involve missed or ignored warning signs.
• Reference checks often reveal behaviour patterns not captured in interviews.
• Consistent screening processes reduce organizational risk.
• Due diligence protects both children and employers.

STATS

• Safeguarding reviews consistently identify hiring and screening failures as contributing factors in incidents.
• Organizations using structured hiring protocols report fewer boundary violations.
• Background checks alone do not identify most workplace behaviour risks.
• Multi-layer screening significantly reduces the likelihood of unsafe hires.
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received over 73,000 workplace discrimination and misconduct charges in 2022, many involving hiring and supervision practices.
• In Canada, child welfare agencies investigate over 200,000 maltreatment cases annually, reinforcing the need for strict vulnerable-sector screening in childcare settings (Public Health Agency of Canada).