When a new employee is hired, it is risky as a lot of resources are used, along with training and compensation costs. Using a background check company ensures that these expenses turn out to be a good investment and that money is well-spent.
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What is Background Screening?
Background screening which is also known as pre-employment screening is used to confirm that a person is who they say they are. It investigates the background of potential employees and collects useful information efficiently to help companies make informed decisions. This process is done by verifying a person’s criminal, financial, and educational records and other documents.
To run a background check on an employee, the employer needs the candidate’s consent, social security number, date of birth, and address. The termination process of a company is complicated; hence running a background check is the safest way to ensure that you hire reliable employees. It is a good idea to pick the best background screening company in the market, which can provide you with the best tools to select the right candidate, ensuring a positive work environment in your firm. It can also help decrease workplace concerns like sexual harassment, theft, workplace violence, financial fraud, or substance abuse at work.
How to Choose The Best Background Screening Provider?
There are many things to consider before choosing a background screening provider. They need to be reliable, approachable, and open to feedback. You can even request the background verification company to provide some references, which will help you make a more informed choice. Scroll down to learn some factors you should consider when selecting a background screening provider.
1. Compliance is The Top Criterion
Compliance is the most important part of background screening. It requires companies to follow the rules and regulations set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and local ordinances. These rules have to be followed to make sure employers are not fined. If a criminal record is causing the company not to consider a particular employee, then the employers must follow adverse action procedures as required by the FCRA. Background screening must comply with federal law and differing state and local legislation.
To conduct a criminal record search, the most accurate means is onsite visits to courthouses rather than searching an online database. Records are only sometimes up-to-date, as the database can have false positives and negatives. Hence, database-only background checks can only partially be trusted and can be the enemy of due diligence. Therefore, background screening companies should also be equipped to conduct checks in countries that may still rely on paper-based records or have different jurisdictional laws.
2. Turnaround Time and Costs
The hiring decision of an employee depends on acceptable background checks, so HR naturally seeks the fastest turnaround time possible. Improvements in technology have reduced turnaround time, but criminal records search still takes 24-48 hours. If it is an international background check, then special permissions need to be taken, which further delays the process.
Background checks can save a company massive amounts of money and the long process of hiring and rehiring candidates. Working with a trusted partner helps save turnaround time and the expense of hiring the wrong person. If a screening provider offers their services too cheap, you might have questionable information. However, the methods providers use are different to source information; you should avoid the ones who use shortcuts to obtain results fast, as the outcome can be unreliable.
3. Technology Considerations
Technology impacts everything today and has changed the way background screening takes place. It is essential to check if the verification partner uses sophisticated technology to ensure the data collected is accurate. The flexibility of a vendor’s technology platform separates the best companies from the rest. They should have scalable, configurable, and intuitive screening platforms.
Technology helps automate the whole process and makes it easy for employers. Potential candidates can fill up online forms in the company’s portal, and data can be automatically updated. This also helps HR run through a negative database when conducting a criminal record check on an employee. Employee screening via a negative database assists organizations in picking candidates with clean records. One of the most important benefits of advanced technology is continuous monitoring because when people change, so does their background history.
4. Check Accreditation
Professional Background Screening Association accreditation is a nationally recognized achievement earned by the United States background screening agencies. PBSA accreditation is important for many reasons. It inspires confidence and trust and has standardized strict requirements and accountability for its members.
Today in the market, there are countless screening providers to choose from, so selecting the perfect one can be daunting. Accreditation helps to narrow down your options as only those companies who have passed the organization’s strict audit process will be PBSA accredited. It is a way of committing to employers that they can expect compliance and excellence. Accreditation provides data security and reliability, gives guidance and support, and greatly improves your overall screening process. In addition, it leads to new insights and excellent practices that help you meet your goal.
5. Candidate Experience
When a potential candidate has a positive experience with your company, they are likely to feel more confident and excited to join your firm if hired. On the other hand, if a candidate has a negative experience, the opposite can happen. Candidates can only turn down a job offer if they have a good experience during the hiring process. Some candidates may also share their negative experiences online, which can damage your company’s reputation. So, to steer clear of these downsides, the company should make the background check process as seamless as possible.
The laws governing background checks constantly change, which results in regulatory oversight and growth in the ranks of applicants misrepresenting themselves. All this gives choosing the right background screening vendor greater importance. Background checks help employers validate their hiring decisions. Companies need to ensure that the employee they are hiring has a record free from malfeasance. For this, the candidate’s criminal, financial, and credit record is checked along with their work history and social media use. Once you select the best background screening provider, you must utilize it legally and responsibly.