Jan 16 2016 How Do I Run an Advanced Background Check?
Plenty of applicants… but who to hire?
A background screening program protects you, your employees, and your customers from potential dangers and liability. But many businesses aren’t sure what kind of check to run, or what the difference is between a “basic” and an “advanced” background check. What’s involved in running it, and more importantly, why should businesses run it?
Better Checks, Better Protection
To start with, it’s necessary to understand how these checks work, and how they’re used. At their most basic level, a background screening uses the information provided by the employee to search for any records of concern to the employer. Usually this involves checking criminal records, running a credit report, and other specialized reports, such as a driving record check, if desired.
Background screening gives you a fuller understanding of the person you’re considering for a role and protects you against liability, specifically negligent hiring. If you hire someone unaware of any potential issues, and there’s an incident while that employee is on the job, you may be taken to court over subjecting a customer or even a bystander to risk.
Unfortunately, a basic check might not find important data. While a basic background check will search hundreds of sources for records, there are thousands of sources to choose from, and you might miss important records by failing to search as thoroughly as you could. It’s widely believed that every court in every state has access to every record, but in reality, most courts only have access to records at the local and possibly county level. State courts may not even have access to all local court information, depending on the situation, and states rarely share court information with each other.
Furthermore, if a basic check finds a “hit,” you’re required by law to an advanced search to verify that information, so essentially a basic check turns into an advanced one surprisingly quickly if you have any results at all.
This is why more companies need to move from the basic to the advanced background check. In some situations, a basic check might not be seen as enough effort to protect the public. Especially in situations where a person has moved between multiple addresses, finding the necessary records in a basic background check can be difficult at best.
An advanced background check means the right hire every time.
Running an Advanced Background Check
An advanced check starts with previous addresses. Using information provided by the applicant and a social security number trace, their addresses for the last seven years will be collected. Then, records in each city, county and state in those addresses are checked for records. Any records found are followed up on, and if there’s reference to other issues in those records, they’ll be investigated as well.
A seven-year limit is common due to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which dictates many details about how these checks are run and what can be done with the data. You’ll also need to ensure you follow state law in regards to how the information is used: Many states have specific ways in which you can take action on the information you receive.
An advanced background check is your best tool for preventing issues in the workplace and limiting liability. Learn how an advanced background check can work for you by requesting a free background check trial.
