Background Checks Vs. Comprehensive Background Checks:
By far the best background check is a detailed comprehensive background. However, sometimes budget or other constraints may force you to accept the potential risks of running a more basic background check. Because we are checking fewer sources, hidden problems may remain undetected. Additional risks that a basic check may leave you exposed to include: unqualified employees, employee theft and fraud, workplace violence or other problems.
Basic Background Check Searches
Social Security Number Scan: Check name and address history for running county criminal record checks.
County Criminal Record Check: Check both felony and misdemeanor files when possible. Check counties of residence, school, and work (last 7 years).
Verify Employment History: (last 7 years)
Education Verification: Verify post-high school education for professional and management positions.
Motor Vehicle Record: This search checks a person’s driving record. It is usual done on someone who will be driving for the company.
Nation Criminal Database Search: Criminal records are retrieved from participating jurisdictions, administrative office of courts records, department of corrections, superior court index of felonies and misdemeanors and traffic court records.
National Sex Offender Search: Sex offender records are pulled from similar databases as the criminal database check
Other types of Checks:
Reference Checks: Some employers will call previous employers to confirm you worked there and how you may have performed
Drug Screening: There are various degrees of drug screening. The extent of this is usually based off the position you are applying for.
Terrorist Search (OFAC): The Terrorist Search helps ensures that organizations and individuals have not entered into transactions with a person involved in terrorism, international narcotics trafficking, or activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
How many companies run background checks on new hires? Surveys suggest that about 80% of companies conduct some type of background search
What does the typical background check reveal? Ideally, the background check can help reveal if a person told the truth to questions on an employment application, including whether they have a criminal record, and in what they stated on their resume.
Depending on the employer’s preferences and objectives, the background check can be as basic as checking county criminal records, or as comprehensive as also checking Federal criminal records and motor vehicle records, verifying past employment and education, conducting reference checks, and drug testing.
What type of background check is most accurate and helpful? The best background check is a comprehensive background check. A detailed comprehensive background check allows an employer to verify those areas that are important to job performance, would impact the applicant’s job qualifications, or could identify safety issues.
How long does a background check take? The industry uses the term “Turn Around Time” to describe how long a background check takes. The times vary significantly based on what searches are conducted in the check, the courthouse where records are being search, and various other factors.
Some providers often use this to their advantage in advertising by mentioning the word “instant”. The truth is that many searches take minutes or hours and some take many days or even a week.
In our experience, the average criminal records search at a county courthouse takes approximately 2-3 business days.
The Fair Credit and Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how reporting agencies use consumer’s personally identifiable information. The FCRA is a complex piece of legislation that contains numerous provisions. Some of the relevant provisions as it pertains to background checks include how information is protected, what information is disclosed and why, and how individual can correct or delete inaccurate or outdated information or dispute information.
As an employer, it’s good company practice to understand not only your obligations under the FCRA rules and regulations, but also the obligations of consumer reporting agencies (CRA) that provide preemployment screening services under the same act.