You need high-quality background checks to help your organization stay in compliance and minimize hiring risks. But if your background screening provider doesn’t use the most accurate, up-to-date sources of information, or if they prioritize speed over quality, the risks increase. As a result, you could unwittingly make a bad hire and bring harm to your organization in the form of fines, lawsuits, and reputational loss.

To help you protect your organization from poor-quality background checks, here are seven questions to ask your current background screening provider, and how we would answer them as your screening partner.

 1. What steps do you take to deliver accurate background checks?

A high-quality background check requires a combination of smart technology and human effort. Technology helps to automate the collection of background data from a variety of sources, and people provide judgment and analysis to verify and help you make sense of the data. Criminal background checks are a good example. After we extract candidate background information from a range of criminal databases, lists, and registries, our expert screeners review the data for completeness and conduct proper cross-checks and verifications.

Delivering quality background checks requires accuracy and truth. We demonstrate our commitment to accuracy with the following screening services:

2. What metrics do you use to measure the quality of your background checks?

Background check turnaround time is an integral part of an efficient hiring process, but you need more than just speed. When you need to manage hiring risk and protect your workplace, a thorough background check delivered in a few days always trumps an incomplete or erroneous background check, no matter how soon you get it. 

Our turnaround times are among the lowest in the industry, but we also demonstrate our commitment to quality by tracking other metrics. In addition to speed, we also gauge our success with metrics such as:

  • Accuracy rate: Our quality assurance team sets benchmarks for the accuracy of the background information we gather. We also measure quality by tracking the efficiency of our data collection procedures and how well they help us deliver quality background data reports.
  • Dispute rate: We track the rate at which candidates dispute information reported in their background check and the rate at which disputes lead to a change in a background report.
     

3. How do you perform quality employment and educational verifications?

There are different ways to perform employment and educational verifications, and using a combination of verification methods—phone, fax, email, and database integrations— increases the likelihood of a response. In some cases, however, the person or organization on the other end of the verification request doesn’t respond in a timely manner.

It’s not uncommon to have to leave a few voicemails or send a follow-up email to a verification request. Nonetheless, many background screening providers only try three times and then declare the verification complete, whether they got any real information or not. As a result, you could be paying for verification services without getting verification results.

We don’t follow the “three and done” industry standard when conducting verifications, but keep trying until we make the appropriate contact. Our multi-step verification process uses a range of contact methods to yield a 90 percent verification success rate, so you know more about the credentials and past employment of prospective hires. In addition, we take extra steps to identify diploma mills and bogus certifications, so you can be sure the individuals you hire are able to satisfy the requirements of the position.

Use this "RFP Evaluation Scorecard” to create a winning RFP process for background screening providers >>

4. How can you help us conduct compliant background checks?

Regulatory compliance is the backbone of responsible and thorough background screening. As a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) and a consumer reporting agency (CRA), we uphold a high standard of compliance with all applicable state and federal background screening regulations. Our background screening activities comply with the following laws and regulations:

  • Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
  • State and local salary history bans
  • “Ban the box” laws
  • Industry-specific guidelines from agencies and organizations such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Joint Commission 

We stay current with changes to the laws impacting background screening, and we routinely improve our processes to keep pace with federal, state, and local legislation. We also keep you updated so you understand your compliance obligations and how evolving laws affect your organization.

5. How can you help us improve the quality of our background check program?

Depending on your industry and your goals, there are many roads to a quality background check program. For example, if your organization is in the healthcare industry, quality background checks will include sanction checks and license verifications. If you employ drivers, you’ll need to include driver history and driver’s license checks.

We work with your organization to build a background screening program that fits your needs. In addition to the many background screening solutions available, we also offer services to help you improve your existing program, including the following:

Periodic business reviews

We work with you to review your program for continued compliance and efficiency, so you can take advantage of best practices and industry-specific insights. In addition to a thorough assessment of your screening program, periodic reviews also give you: 

  • A review of your program metrics and recommendations for optimal performance
  • Collaboration and assistance with problem-solving
  • Training and program implementation support
     

Customization

We help you configure your screening program to include a variety of different background searches according to job type. You can also build background screening activities around industry requirements, for example, with a healthcare background check program.

Ongoing support 

In addition to a dedicated screening analyst and in-platform direct messaging services, we keep you up-to-date with new developments on the compliance landscape. Our responsive, US-based support representatives are experienced in case production and processes, and available for online, chat, or phone contact. Your primary contact can also provide technical support, answers to compliance-related questions, and information about our services.

6. After the initial background check, how can you help us continue to screen the workforce? 

Sometimes a quality pre-hire background check may be just the beginning. When you’ve taken steps to conduct background checks for new hires, after their hire date you don’t have the same visibility into actions or license activity that could be putting your workforce and organization at risk. In an industry such as financial services or healthcare, continuing to employ someone with sanctions or insufficient licensing can lead to fines or loss of accreditation.

Our continuous monitoring solution picks up where pre-employment background checks leave off. It delivers consistent and continuous real-time monitoring and roster management. As a result, we’re able to give you up-to-the-minute insights about employment sanctions and license updates, so you can better manage the workforce on an ongoing basis. 

7. How can you help us make the background check process easier to manage?

With the help of your background screening provider, you can automate several parts of your background screening process, thus reducing manual steps and double-entry. An automated screening process helps you save time and allows you to deliver a better candidate experience. 

Our technology makes the screening process easier for you and your candidates so you can keep track of background check results and move candidates efficiently through the hiring process. We can also work with you to review your overall program, and we help you identify ways to make the background screening process more efficient. Time-saving features include the following:

  • Single and bulk background check ordering: Order one or many background checks with just a few clicks
  • Case action histories: Have greater transparency and see all activities associated with a specific background check, each with a date and time stamp.
  • Automated e-disclosure and authorization forms: Make legal disclosures and keep signed authorizations secure
  • Adverse action workflow tools: Follow FCRA-compliant adverse action steps
  • Electronic I-9 solutions: Verify candidate work authorization status
  • Integrations with your ATS: Cut down on double-entry of candidate data
  • Paperless drug screening: Help candidates find a lab and make a drug testing appointment using any mobile device
  • Dashboards and case views: Have better access to actionable background screening results
  • Messaging features: Enable quicker follow-up in instances where additional information is required
     

Choose the Right Background Screening Provider for You.

Given the hiring risks at stake, your organization needs a background screening provider who understands your needs and the compliance requirements for your industry. When your background screening priorities are quality, compliance, and efficiency, you’ll benefit from working with a partner who values those same ideals and has experience delivering them. 

Contact us today and learn more about how Corporate Screening can help your organization build an efficient and compliant background screening program. 

New call-to-action