It may seem like an easy task;
- Give your background screening company your applicant’s name, date of birth, and social security number
- Let your employment background check company do the rest.
(Unfortunately, it’s not that easy and if you really want your results to be accurate then you should properly prepare for your request to be sent with the most accurate data possible)
First, always obtain a copy of your applicant’s state ID, drivers license, SSN card, or any other form of legal documentation.
This will show their full, legal name which is very important! Don’t think that because he put “Bill” on his application that that’s how it should be ran for his criminal background. If you dig deeper, his legal name is most likely “William”. Or maybe “Anne” is actually “Henrietta’s” middle name and she chooses to go by it instead. She even puts it on her professional paperwork such as job applications. If you search “Bill” instead of “William” or “Anne” instead of “Henrietta” there is a large chance you will not get the results that you need for your applicant. This is a common mistake that employers unknowingly make on a regular basis. Most criminal court searches are based on name and DOB. Court records are pu
blic information and they do not list SSN’s for security reasons.
Secondly, do not guess on any of the applicants information.
If you are unable to obtain legal forms from your
applicant per company policy or cannot read the application clearly, contact him/her for the information that you need. You may still only be taking their word for it, but at least you have gone that extra step in assuring your screening process will be as accurate as possible. Another huge mistake in the background screening process is when employers guess that the DOB for example, says “01/18/1959” when it is actually “01/13/1959”. This is also true for the spelling of the applicant’s name. Just because it is close doesn’t mean it will get caught. If this person has a record, it will be under their correct date of birth and spelling of their name, not what you may have guessed it to be.
So as an employer making important decisions on hiring, please keep these details in mind. These simple, avoidable mistakes could result in you hiring the wrong job applicant.
Sarah Morber
MBI Worldwide
