Updated on January 14, 2015
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Hiring employees is a big move for any business to make. These are people who you are trusting with a significant responsibility and who pose a potential liability for the business is not properly vetted.
Unfortunately, different states have different laws when it comes to employment requirements, and it’s important for the sake of your business and your reputation to comply with local, state, and federal laws, while also providing a safe environment for your employees and your customers.
That’s why it’s so important to work with only the best background screening company to meet the needs of your business.
Benefits of Working with a Background Screening Service
Because the laws regarding employment verification process are so complex and vary from state to state, it is always wise to work with an organization that is devoted to the screening process. These are just a few of the benefits you’ll enjoy when working with a high quality background check company.
- Avoid negligent hiring practices.
- Decrease employee turnover.
- Improve employee retention.
- Reduce unnecessary employment terminations.
- Reduce risk of employee embezzlement, fraud, crime, and sexual offenses.
Businesses hiring drivers can enjoy additional benefits from using a quality background screening company. They verify the driving record of job candidates too, including their:
- Accident histories
- License status
- Moving violations
- DUI’s
Another benefit involves liability and due diligence. If you hire someone based on false statements, or after failing to investigate their employment history or verify education records, and a client (or another employee) is injured due to recklessness by the employee, lack of experience, or a pattern of malicious intent, then it could become a liability issue for your business.
For instance, if you hire someone with a criminal history of assault and that employee attacks one of your customers, you may be held responsible for the actions of your employee in a court of law. Another possibility is that you hire someone with a history of computer crimes who steals credit card information from your customers.
Background checks can help you spot patterns of behavior that could prove incompatible with the best interests of your business, as well as highlight areas of potential lawsuits down the road.
What Should You Look for When Choosing a Background Screening Company?
There are many standards worth considering when selecting the company to trust your pre-employment screening to. These are some of the most important traits you should keep in mind.
Compliance
First and foremost, look for Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA compliant employee background check services. These services strictly follow federal laws regarding employment screenings so you can make hiring decisions made based on information in these reports with confidence that you are following the law.
The best pre-employment screening services have their own in-house legal counsel so that they are up-to-date on the latest legislative requirements for adherence purposes and so they can help keep you informed about potential compliance issues.
NAPBS Membership
The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) accreditation means that the company has proven to be dedicated to the background screening industry, adheres to the strict standards and guidelines of the association, and is committed to excellence in the field of background screening.
Companies who have achieved this accreditation has passed a thorough onsite audit of their procedures and practices for the following:
- Ability to train and education clients.
- Accuracy of background specialists.
- Accuracy of products.
- Consumer protection.
- Depth of products.
- Employees’ background check expertise.
- Information security.
- Legal compliance.
- Organizational integrity and ethics.
- Quality and accuracy of public record researchers.
Look for companies that have the vital NAPBS prestigious accreditation if you’re truly interested in choosing the best background screening company for your pre-employment screening process.
Multi-Industry Experience
The more industries, like transportation, retail, manufacturing, etc., a pre-screening organization has experience serving, the more likely it is that they will be able to help guide you as to which candidates you need to screen, which screenings you should perform, and how to use the information gleaned in the hiring process.
Specifically, you want to make sure they have experience in your industry and other industries that support your industry or are affiliated with your industry as many potential employees may come from similar backgrounds.
Global Capabilities
Thanks to advances in technology and transportation, the world today is smaller than ever before. Employees have increasingly lived and worked in other countries and regions. That’s why it’s so important to work with a company that has global reach in the screening process. This goes beyond simple searches in the English language and includes extensive mulit-language skills and cultural knowledge as well.
Customer Service
This should be a given in today’s competitive business climate, but the truth is some businesses excel at customer service while others struggle to provide it. When you’re dealing with sensitive information like employees personal and professional background credentials, though, excellent customer service is a necessity rather than a luxury. Make sure the background screening service you’re considering has a reputation for excellence in the field of serving customers.
What Should Background Checks Involve?
Different businesses will need to look for different things when it comes to background checks. Of course, it’s important to ensure that all background checks comply with the law. Some states, for instance, have laws concerning how you can use information from a background check – specifically from a criminal history check. It is important to know what the laws are before using them to make hiring decisions.
Other types of background checks you should consider conducting as part of the pre-employment screening process include:
- Driving records
- Education verification
- Employment verification
- Personal reference verification
- Social Media background checks
In most cases, you’ll need to get consent from the prospect before conducting a background screening.
Bottom Line
There are so many things that make one background screening company stand out as an industry leader. The above are the top of the list, but don’t overlook important qualities like speed and customization that make the best employment background screening company, like VerifyProtect, an even better fit for businesses of all shapes and sizes. This guide, though, should help you identify the right background screening company for your pre-employment screening needs.
