Tips for Tackling Turnaround Times and Optimizing Background Check Results

The right combination of speed and precision is necessary for safe and efficient hiring. Several factors related to turnaround times for document processing, verifications, and more are worth noting to create a complete and accurate candidate picture. The hiring and onboarding process at your organization is a new employee’s first interaction with the company, so the candidate’s experience is an important consideration to have on your radar. Dragging out or getting stuck in the hiring pipeline as a candidate can be an unpleasant experience, potentially leaving a negative impression about your company that the candidate carries with them, whether or not they are selected for the role.

From the employer’s perspective, delays in screening and selection can have a major impact on internal operations and productivity, and may even affect company morale when fractured teams work for extended periods without new hires joining to fill the gaps. And in the case of competitive industries, an efficient procedure with a suitable turnaround can be the difference between locking in a highly talented candidate and losing them to a competitor that moved them through the hiring channel more quickly.

Now, let’s analyze what’s causing the holdup in the operation: background screening. There are numerous detailed elements involved in accurately and ethically obtaining background information on an applicant, all of which can vary by state and federal laws, industry requirements, organizational policies, and more. Many items require a substantial amount of personal identifying information to complete a successful search, potentially causing a snag in the screening process and delaying the receipt of time-sensitive confirmation of a candidate’s history and qualifications.

Let’s examine some ways to support and accelerate the screening process while improving the quality and quantity of gathered results.

Where missing information could be hiding

Missing or incomplete information from candidates can sometimes slip through the cracks, causing delays and affecting the quality of your background checks. Collecting all the details you need right from the start can help you keep your process moving smoothly with more complete information and more confidence.

By making the effort to collect and provide as much information as possible, you’re giving your background screening provider the necessary tools to help deliver higher-quality and meaningful data in a more efficient, useful timeframe.

Additional names and aliases

While it may be common for an individual to go by only one name, there are many instances where multiple names are tied to the same person. For example: a married person’s maiden name and their married name; a person legally changing their first, middle, or last name; and stepparent/stepchild adoption scenarios, to name a few.

In every candidate screening, it’s important to remember that there is a measurable likelihood that other individuals, who are completely unrelated to the candidate, share the same name.

To address both of these concerns, try to provide:

• COMPLETE name, including middle name
• FULL dates of birth (month, day, and year)
• FULL social security numbers

Don’t forget to double-check for spelling errors and typos, especially if the information is being manually copied into the screening system.

>> Learn more about confirming the identity of your candidate.

Address history 

Relevant criminal history isn’t always limited to one location. For a more accurate background check, it’s important to search for relevant records, criminal and otherwise, in all areas where the candidate has resided. Attempting to cover every area to catch discrepancies is exceptionally expensive and time-consuming; a more efficient approach could be to pinpoint the locations relevant to the candidate and screen in those areas.

Depending on the role and industry, some searches are limited to a defined lookback scope required by state or federal laws and other compliance factors. However, the search range depends on the depth and accuracy of the address information provided. An address history trace may be a useful tool to help expand your search scope in a targeted, relevant way by uncovering residential history and aliases associated with a candidate’s SSN.

How missing information impacts accuracy

 Some employers rely solely on the candidate’s resume and job application to provide all the personal information they need to complete the picture. Although this can speed the process along, just as a small hole in a ship can weaken the whole structure, missing information can create a hole that causes bigger problems later on.  

The impact of missing address  history

Resumes and job applications typically ask only for the candidate’s current address. This can limit the organization’s ability to pinpoint key areas of the search that may trigger the need for additional screening, such as county criminal searches across multiple counties or statewide criminal searches across multiple states.

Our screening data found that, when an address history trace is used, searches include an average of 1.8 names and 4.79 addresses; without it, averages drop to 1.08 names and 1.59 addresses.

Why alternate names and aliases matter

Many background checks are name-based, so when candidates have had more than one name or use an alias, records can be more challenging to find. In addition to aliases and name changes, many applicants include only their first and last names on their resumes, and job applications often have to prompt for a middle name or middle initial to help confirm accurate and matching information is found. Neither of these scenarios account for a way to collect additional names/aliases that may be associated with the applicant.

Further effort is needed to gather supplemental information to identify a candidate, and it’s up to each organization to determine how to collect it. Because the candidate experience in this process carries significant weight, adding an excessive number of in-depth questions to the job application may not be the most ideal approach. So how can organizations obtain these details in an efficient, applicant-friendly way?

How can organizations gather complete and accurate candidate information? 

Every organization has different requirements for how quickly a role needs to be filled; some launch the background screening step as soon as the initial interview is complete, while others may wait until candidates reach the final round of interviews before submitting a background check order. Regardless of where the candidate stands in the process, utilizing a candidate portal allows you to proactively obtain relevant data for your background screening provider in a way that’s low impact for candidates.

Address history and additional names/aliases may not appear on a candidate’s resume, but their phone number and email address almost certainly will. These two pieces of contact info are all you need to set up the individual in your candidate portal, where they can provide relevant details and documentation to support the background check process once it begins.

Managing candidates with the Verified Credentials candidate portal

Our latest user report shows that nearly half of Verified Credentials users utilize the candidate portal to capture and manage background check information. This information submission process typically takes 15 minutes or less in standard cases, contributing to the overall efficiency of candidate management and screening.

Providing thorough and accurate supplemental candidate information is necessary for maximizing the effectiveness of your employee background screenings. The Verified Credentials candidate portal provides a simplified, transparent platform for candidates to submit their personal information and compliance forms, and to initiate their screening, with step-by-step guidance.

>> Equip your candidates with a user-friendly screening portal.

 The content above is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your legal counsel to determine your organization's background screening compliance requirements.