“HOLD THE ASPIRIN, ALL BACKGROUND CHECK COMPANIES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL”
Contributor: K. Chapman, President & Founder, MBI Worldwide, Inc.
TRUST IS A HUGE ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING SOMEONE TO WORK FOR YOUR COMPANY. Preliminary measures can include a quick Google search of the job applicant and a check of social media accounts, but those techniques are not nearly enough, not approved by the EEOC, and legally challenging. There are companies that help with this hiring research, but finding the one that works best for your needs requires careful consideration. It also requires teamwork and a “partnership”.
These services are not free, so be prepared to pay a reasonable fee for a quality screening company. Bargain shopping in this department is a good idea, but remember the adage “You get what you pay for” and saving a few bucks could end up costing your organization more in the long run. Consider this, it’s cheaper to pay for a background check, than to hire an employee who ends up stealing from you or hurting one of your employees or customers?
Background checks should include a review of the applicant’s criminal history. Convictions of serious crimes would likely impact the candidate’s ability to do the job. Keep in mind; there are laws in place that protect candidates from being disqualified for consideration. A bad-driving record would be a valid reason to not hire a delivery driver for example. But a decade old misdemeanor would probably not keep the applicant from being hired. The compliance department of a quality background screening company will know these laws, and will give you suggestions in your pre-adverse action and adverse action processes.
Screening companies aren’t just looking for criminal activity. A thorough background check consists of references checks, education and employment history, driving records, credit reports and even worker’s compensation claim history. Some applicants may be less than honest on their resume. Verifying the past claims help an employer know the candidate is capable of the position that’s being filled as well as removes any doubt about the honesty and integrity of the potential employee.
An applicant’s credit history can also be subject to review. Usually this only happens in certain circumstances, for instance a job that requires the employee to handle large amounts of money or assets. In most other instances, a financial check is not needed.
There are two types of services that provide background checks. Online sites are typically inexpensive and easy to use. Fees can run $10 to $50 per check and provide information like criminal convictions, sex offenses, bankruptcies, marriage records and social network profiles. You do all the work on these sites. Many of these sites are not compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the information cannot be used in the employment screening process, so be very careful when using these sites for employment purposes. Remember, if you can conduct an employment background check without proper signatures, release forms and not using FCRA guidelines and Summary of Rights, you are setting yourself up for a guaranteed lawsuit.
The other service to use is a consumer reporting agency (CRA), otherwise known as an employment screening (background check) company. This service is much more thorough, as well as compliant and abides by federal and state laws. The safest background check companies to use are accredited with their industry association, the National Association of Processional Background Screeners (NAPBS). There are only 58 NAPBS accredited background screening companies in the United States. All you do is give the screening firm the proper disclosures and release forms signed by the applicant, and they do the rest. Not only do the checks find out more details on the applicant, but as mentioned above, these companies do so in a manner that is compliant with the law. The average cost for this service is reasonable, but also varies based on the needs of the requesting company. Checks can cost anywhere from $10-$50 per applicant from these employment background check companies,, and the process takes around 24-48 hours for you to receive a final report.
Hiring an employee is a potentially decades long commitment. Make sure you’re making the safe-hiring decision and conducting the right employment background check, by having experts in this field help with the process. Remember, all background check companies are NOT created equal. Partnering with the right, accredited employment screening firm will save you time, money and aspirin.