According to the Society of Human Resource Management, nearly half of all job applications and resumes submitted in the United States include exaggerated facts, and sometimes, even lies. Offering a candidate a position solely based on what their resume says can turn disastrous in a matter of days. As a business owner or a human resource manager, you have the responsibility of ensuring that your company only selects the best candidates for open positions, which is why you need to perform background checks for all shortlisted candidates.
Skipping a proper background check can have catastrophic effects on your company. What if you end up hiring a sex offender who, in turn, hurts someone resulting in a civil lawsuit from negligent hiring? What if the new employee you are about to entrust with your payroll accounts has a history of embezzlement? Conducting legal, careful pre-employment background checks is a prerequisite to a successful hiring process, and thus, properly conducted background checks are the only way to future-proof your personnel.
Benefits of Using Background Check Companies
When it comes to conducting employment background checks, hiring companies have two options. The first option is to conduct the background checks themselves via websites that allow you to perform your own search. The next, and perhaps the best option is to hire the services of a background check provider to handle the entire process for your company. To some, the idea of performing the background check yourself may be enticing, but then you’ll be missing out on all the benefits of hiring a provider firm. These include:
- These services are more efficient than the traditional method, and since people conducting the searches are professionals, they can uncover some things you couldn’t if you decided to conduct the process yourself.
- There are compliance regulations required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). In addition to that, employers must follow the recommendations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as federal and state regulations. Background check providers are always up to date with these regulations thus saving your company the headache of having to deal with such matters.
- Much of the information on the DIY background screening websites is inaccurate. This greatly limits the utility of the process. On the contrary, background checking firms can provide accurate comprehensive reports in a short amount of time.
There are other factors that you need to consider before you begin the process of a background check. For instance, the timing of your screening process. According to legal experts, the employer should wait until the job offer is made. Hiring an employment background checking process ensures that you don’t have to worry about such by leaving it to the experts.
How to Hire the Right Employment Background Check Service
Now that we have established the importance of using provider services when conducting background checks in a work environment, it’s only fair that we provide the guidelines of selecting the best background check service for your company. Here are a few considerations to make before you settle for a provider.
Types of Checks Done
Employment background checking companies vary greatly on the types of checks performed on an individual. A good background check service provider should be able to provide education and employment checks, criminal background checks, credit records, drug testing, litigation records, and driving records.
Reputation
Take your time and look at the background of your background screening service options. You can easily tell that a company is passionate about what it does by looking at how well they are established in that particular industry. A good provider should be known for their excellence within the industry.
Compliance
The laws governing the employment screening process are not only countless but also ever changing. From compliance to the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) to adhering to both local and federal Fair Chance Act laws, background checking firms need to stay up to date to stay on top of their game. Your background screening process should be able keep up with shifting regulations to protect your workforce and avoid lawsuits.
Hiring Volume
Choose a company that can keep up with your hiring volume when you are on a hiring spree. This provider should be able to run hundreds of these checks without compromising turnaround time or accuracy. The company should be able to handle high and constantly varying number of checks in a given time frame
Location and Area of Service
Some background checking services are limited by their service area or location. The service area is extremely helpful when conducting background checks internationally or on a large scale. If this is important to you, find a company that provides it.
Well Known Background Check Providers in the Industry
We’ve done our research and analyzed dozens of background check firms in the country to help you find the right provider. To guarantee best practices in an ever-changing legislation, ensure that a background company belongs to the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. Some of the most noteworthy background checking services in the industry include:
- AccurateNow
- GoodHire
- HireRight
- eNannySource (child care providers and general household employees).
- Intelius
The best of these services include Intelius, HireRight and GoodHire. Our decision on the best background screening companies is based on the price, type of report, range of services, types of checks performed, and credentials.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rules dictate that before an employer denies a candidate a position due to something coming up in the background check, the following factors must be put into consideration.
- Nature of the vacant position.
- The length of the completed sentence or conviction time.
- Gravity and nature of the offense.
As you can see, the employer cannot withdraw a job offer without a very good reason for doing so. Choosing the right employment background check firm is essential to employers as it will help them get accurate information about the candidate and make the appropriate decision.
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