Should I run a background check before hiring?
Short answer
Yes for anyone with a key, a code, a customer's home, or your cash. No surprises later are worth a $40 check today.
What to check
Criminal history in states they've lived. Driving record if they drive for you. Verify their last two jobs with a real phone call to the manager, not the HR voicemail.
Use it with judgment
A clean record isn't a guarantee. A messy record isn't an automatic no. Pattern matters: old isolated mistake vs recent repeating one. Talk to them about it and read the answer.
Ask your version of this question
This is one business owner-tested take. Your shop size, trade, and team change the answer. Ask the exact version inside Ask a Shop Owner and get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.