Background Screening Blog

The background screening process is built with the candidates in mind. That includes the built-in and mandatory compliance steps that employers that use background reports and background screeners must follow.

Topics: FCRA, Fair Credit Reporting Act

They say consistency builds trust. When it comes to background checks, the information you verify and how it is evaluated might even help mitigate risk too. An inconsistent approach to background checks could result in poor hires and could even leave employers open to potential negligent hiring lawsuits. Just think, if you know what to screen, but the rest of your team doesn’t know what to look for when hiring. The way different hiring managers look at hiring criteria could result in casual yet costly mistakes. We are going to look at three practices that could potentially help build consistency into background screening.

Topics: Report Scoring, Employment Background Checks, Background Check Packages

As an HR leader you want to stay in touch with any industry developments. We get asked about how other employers screen all the time. That’s why Verified Credentials published the 2021 In-Depth Screening Guide: Trends Report. Our annual guide to all the latest trends in background screening based on our own exclusive 2020 data. Despite the past year’s challenges, the data shows stability in how companies use background checks to access candidate information. But there are some new developments. From criminal background checks to international searches. New data can offer unique insights for those who want to stay ahead of the curve. Here’s a look at some of the 2021 background check trends for HR professionals.

Topics: Employment Background Checks

A government watch list search can help you identify candidates that may be barred from doing business with or in the United States. Specifically, this type of screening could be used to protect companies from doing business with certain sanctioned or barred candidates. It could also help companies avoid potential legal issues.

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Government Watch List

2020 sure sent some of us scrambling. But HR leaders adapted quickly to shifting workforce and business needs. Many have still not returned to the way work was before the pandemic. More and more, we hear that they may never return to work in the same way as years before. HR teams are moving forward with a renewed look at the roles they have. The HR Research Institute surveyed HR professionals about their current priorities and concerns and what they anticipate for the future. In partnership with Verified Credentials, HR.com published the survey findings in The Future of the HR Function 2021 report. The data collected highlighted trends in: Where HR fits within the organization High-use skills & skill gaps Critical functions for the future

Topics: Employment Background Checks

Trusting the information in your background checks means confidence in your hiring decisions. The right background screening company partner provides countless rigorous measures to get you that dependable information. But you can also make a big impact. What’s great is that employers like you can give quality a boost. Taking proactive steps could help boost the quality of your background checks. Even if you already trust your background checks, some steps can help speed up results too. Let’s discover what you can shift that might help you get even more quality and accuracy out of your background checks.

Topics: ATS Integration, Employment Background Checks, Candidate Self-Service, Record Matching

Big data’s homing signal is strong. Faster, more accurate background screening demands better sources of digital records. Growing criminal history information sources are wrapped up in electronic databases. Some may want to find a single source of data for criminal history background checks. And why wouldn’t they? The problem: there is no all-inclusive or government-mandated source of all criminal records in the United States. One potential solution is to layer criminal history searches: county, state and federal criminal searches. What’s another way to expand your criminal search?

Topics: Employment Background Checks, National Criminal Database Search

You’ve screened them before, but do you need to get caught up on current history and records? Maybe you are welcoming back employees. Or you’re working through annual rechecks of specific roles. These scenarios may call for a recheck rather than a full pre-employment background check. If you are thinking about adding rescreening to your strategy, you certainly aren’t alone.

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Recurring Screening

Your strategic workforce likely includes traditional workers, your full-time and part-time staff. It may also include alternative workers, also known as contingent, temporary, or gig workers. If you are hiring to help with skills gaps, you may need to partner with a staffing supplier to find candidates faster. For some of you, this may not be a comfortable territory. But like many employment trends that sprung out of the past several months, you’ve adapted quickly. With this shift to include contingent workers, you may have questions about how a staffing agency uses background checks.

Topics: Employment Background Checks, Candidate Experience, Background Check Packages, Company Culture, Reference Checks

Not sure if your background screening strategy matches the way you do business? After a year of considerable changes, you may be evaluating your hiring process. Maybe you inherited a background screening program that feels outdated. Maybe your candidates expect a different experience than what they’re getting. And, of course, digital hiring creates more demand for streamlined workflows. Opportunity for more efficiency is nearly always possible!

Topics: ATS Integration, Report Scoring, Employment Background Checks, Candidate Self-Service, Background Check Packages, Background Check Scope, Bulk Background Checks