Background checks will look at and verify a job candidate’s identity, criminal record (presence or absence of one), employment history, education history, and possibly their driving record. They also show if someone is on a sex offender registry or terrorist watch list. Check People and other background screening providers offer these services. A background check can also include a credit check.
What Information do You Need?
To run a background check on a potential hire, you need their full name, date of birth, and social security number. If you want to access their credit report, military record, and school transcripts, you’ll have to get their permission in writing. This is also the case if you want to hire an external service to investigate them.
If the job candidate refuses permission despite your reasonable request, you’re legally allowed to remove them from the recruitment process.
Do You Need Legal Advice?
Certain information is off-limits in some states. What’s more, background screening can unearth sensitive data. To avoid burdening the company with legal issues, it’s recommended to get legal advice.
Establish Consistent Company Policy
You should subject all employees to the same background check policy. Whether they are a salaried employee or an independent contractor is irrelevant. Everyone responsible should know the steps to take and when to take them. Ideally, you could document all relevant procedures in a flow chart. If you’re taking certain measures with some candidates but not others, you might be faced with legal hassles. An example of a risky endeavor is performing criminal background checks on applicants based on their background.
Give Everyone a Chance to Explain
Not all information obtained through screening is accurate. Talking to candidates and giving them a chance to clarify mistakes can help save a valuable potential employee. Never assume any background check elements are routine. Even the most trivial steps, like identity verification, can unearth critical information. Recruiters should pay attention to all the information gathered. You may also learn How To Fix [pii_email_37f47c404649338129d6] Error Code Easily.
Watch for Compliance
If you’re using a background check service, it should either be FCRA compliant itself or work with a third-party provider that is. The FCRA is very clear on what is and isn’t permitted in the context of a background check, particularly with respect to financial data. This law governs almost all background checks. However, many other pieces of legislation affect them depending on the jurisdiction. Some states allow criminal and credit checks for any candidate and others – only in certain situations.
Don’t use Character-Related Findings
Federal law governs investigative consumer reports, which are when you ask about someone’s attitude, character, or personality. If you’re doing this, your candidate needs to know. It’s best to get legal advice if you need such information.
For example, employers who search a candidate’s social media and obtain character-related information on this basis aren’t allowed to use it to make a judgment about the person.
Components of a Basic Background Check
If you’re running a check on a potential employee or tenant, you need social security validation, a criminal record check, and address history. Your provider would also check the sex offender registry.
Social security verification is the most basic element of a background check. It will confirm your candidate does in fact have that social security number. It will also pull up the address history, date of birth, and all names associated with that number, including name variations and aliases. This information will show you if this person has lived under another name or in an undisclosed location. It might reveal criminal history that would have remained secret otherwise.
A criminal records check is of paramount importance if the job has high security requirements. It should include county, state, and federal records. Likewise, a sex offender registry check is critical for positions of trust. Most background checks include it.
Conclusion: Steps to Take
The steps of conducting a background check is the most common issue. Your first step should be to find out what information you can ask for in your state. Notify the candidate of your intentions to screen them. If you’re outsourcing the process, choose a registered, FCRA compliant CRA (consumer reporting agency). The agency will generate a report. Some have faster turnaround than others and some reports are more detailed than others. Ask about turnaround and scope in advance. Do not make an employment decision before reviewing the report.
