US
retail giant Wal-Mart has announced that it is to run background checks on all
applicants for jobs.
The
world’s largest retailer – owner of Asda in the UK – said the move aims to
identify applicants with criminal records, as well as those who may have lied
on application forms for other reasons.
The
screening will initially apply in Wal-Mart’s US divisions, but the company is
planning to expand the programme to other divisions, including the UK, in the
near future.
The
US rollout of the scheme starts next month, and follows a year of pilot
programmes across the country.
Working
within local laws, the checks will review applicants’ backgrounds for various
criminal offences. Wal-Mart said applicants will not be considered for any
position if they are found to have lied in their applications.
Sue
Oliver, senior vice-president, people, for Wal-Mart’s stores division, said:
"Across the country, every day, we have hundreds of thousands of
trustworthy women and men serving our customers.
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"We
want to preserve the outstanding reputation these individuals have worked hard
to build for themselves," she said. "By adding another level of
security to our hiring practices, our associates can be assured that we are
strengthening our efforts to try to intercept anyone who might otherwise damage
that integrity."
