Here’s Verified Credentials’ 2020 Report on Background Screening Trends by Industry

“What background checks are other companies searching?” This is a question we often hear from HR professionals like you when we begin consulting on the current state of background checks. The most up-to-date trends can be an easy and obvious starting point for evaluating your background screening strategy.

A Strategic Guide to What’s Happening in Your Industry

Observations about what background information your peers are reviewing in their hiring process is one of many factors to ground your background screening strategy. In response to this need, Verified Credentials compiled top product trends and industry information to help you create better background screening strategy plans by knowing what your in-market peers are reviewing in candidate background reports.

Based on our research, Verified Credentials has released its first-ever Background Screening Usage Trends Report by Industry. This report relies on multiple indicators of background check product usage and screening package trends across a dozen major industries.

In this new 2020 research report, we examined usage trends for different background checks across all employers. Additionally, we looked at hundreds of mid-sized to large companies in the U.S. in over a dozen industries, including technology, healthcare, construction, staffing, professional services, hospitality, finance/banking, education, government, and more.

Off the Record: The Biggest Changes to Keep Your Eye on

While this is our first year to release this report to the public, Verified Credentials has been closely monitoring background screening industry trends over our 36 years in business. Most recently, we have observed some trends to watch closely in 2020.  Follow these fastest-growing trends based on year-over-year increases between 2018 and 2019:

• More companies are layering criminal information sources, marked by the rise in use of statewide criminal history information by all industries, up 10% between 2018 and 2019. Additionally, there was a 10% increase in National Sex Offender Public Registry use across all sectors & company sizes.
• Going global is more common, with notable increases across all international background checks (international criminal history, international employment and academic verifications, and more.)
• Use of academic and employment verifications has gone up in most top industries (i.e., Spike of 15-30% more in financial, staffing, manufacturing, and construction companies are now running work history checks.)

Ranking Critical Background Check Data by Industry

This report will help you optimize your HR resources and align screening activities with what your industry peers are doing. Download your copy of this report to learn about:

• General usage trends based on product order volume for all mid-sized and large companies in 2019
• Industry callouts for high use under specific product categories
• One-page matrix of products and industries, highlighting moderate to high use for specific background checks

It’s not every day you can see what approach other HR leaders take to hiring. These points offer a unique opportunity to see real-life programs in action within your specific industry and beyond.  Understanding the high watermarks in screening programs may help you uncover trends and actionable insights to impact your business and shape your background screening strategy in 2020.

Download the newest strategic planning tool for your background checks.