Whether you’re screening job candidates, prospective tenants, or volunteers, your background screening solutions must provide accurate results.
Here are five ways to ensure that your screening process is as comprehensive as it should be.
1. Review your current background screening procedures regularly
When was the last time that you gave a thorough review of your standard operating procedure (SOP) over background screening? If it has been more than six months, then your SOPs could be obsolete, and ultimately expose you to costly litigation due to violation of newer regulations that have not been considered in your existing SOP. On the other hand, by reviewing your SOP, you can immediately take advantage of new information sources that may have been newly made available legally.
To save the hassle of staying vigilant with the changes in the applicable laws and regulations governing background screening, it’s best to engage with a professional background screening company Utah or wherever you’re located, as these professionals have the resources to provide accurate, timely reports while complying with relevant legal restrictions.
2. Exhaust all possible and applicable sources for verifying and confirming disclosed information
At the very least, a basic background check should have the following:
- An identity verification check that confirms the person’s full name, known aliases, social security number, and address history, among others.
- A national crime and sex offender database check that looks into a comprehensive database of court records, sex offender registries, and other legal databases.
However, to further increase the accuracy of your background screening process especially when ensuring a safe work and/or living environment, you must include the following:
- County-level and federal-level criminal and court records to understand the person’s case and its judgment so that you can make a well-informed decision whether to accept or reject the person’s application
- International watch lists to avoid narcotics traffickers and known terrorists
- Employment history and professional references to ensure only qualified job applicants are hired or in the case of rentals, to ensure that prospective tenants have financial stability to pay rent
- Education history to confirm job candidates’ claims
- Drug screening tests
Furthermore, there are special searches that provide deeper and more insights depending on the situation. Here are some examples:
- Driving records to decrease business risks when hiring corporate drivers;
- Credit history report for job candidates of a finance-related position or prospective tenants
- Eviction records in case of rental applicants
- Professional licenses to verify applicant’s disclosures
3. Set a standard policy to guide background screening procedures across the board
Having a comprehensive policy will ensure that your background screening solutions and processes are consistent throughout the entire organization. Whether the procedures are done by the in-house HR, recruiters in remote locations, or outsourced to a screening company, you can be sure that there’s a standard company guideline being followed. A basic policy should answer:
- What information to verify/retrieve when screening;
- What positions will require more thorough or special searches;
- What is the company’s standard on adverse action processes in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)?
4. Integrate modern-day systems into your background screening process
Background screening technology can improve your accuracy and productivity when integrated with your applicant tracking databases and system because it streamlines the entire recruitment, hiring, and employee management processes. It also prevents double entries of candidate information like prior addresses and employment history as well as avoids having to ask the same questions to applicants several times.
5. Partner with a background check company with trustworthy accreditation
All background check companies can deliver the basics of what they’re offering i.e. delivering and verifying information on a candidate. But you shouldn’t just rely on what the company is promising. You must ensure that the background screening company you’re working with is dedicated to delivering accurate and fast reports from comprehensive, reliable sources while upholding compliance with applicable legal matters. A sure way to recognize a reliable background screening provider is when they are accredited by a prestigious organization and well-recognized authority in the background-checking industry. For example, the accreditation program of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) is a widely recognized seal of approval in the United States for employment background screening entities committed to excellence through high professional standards and trustworthy excellence. In short, the PBSA accreditation symbolizes the gold standard in the industry.
Intellishield is a PBSA-accredited background screening company Utah offering a wide range of solutions for employers, landlords or property managers, and charity or non-profit organizations. Get in touch with us today.
