Background Checks

A background check may feature a broad range of information about an individual’s employment, education, and criminal history. Not all background checks contain identical information, because there are many possible components employers can select. Common elements of a background check include the following:

• Criminal record history
• Social security number (SSN) trace
• Employment verification
• Education verification
• Industry-specific data, such as healthcare sanction and license history

Background checks may also include motor vehicle record history, credit history, drug screening results, and other elements based on the type of position an individual will perform for an employer. However, regardless of the type of background check or the information it contains, all results and reporting must comply with requirements established by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Just as interviews and other selection methods help you determine a candidate’s fit for your organization and culture, pre-employment screening helps you verify candidate credentials and identify any potential risks associated with hiring a candidate. In some industries, such as healthcare and transportation, you may also have a legal requirement to conduct pre-employment background screening for all new hires.

Conducting a background check is more thorough and accurate than conducting a simple internet search, and it is a critical first step in protecting your organization, employees, patients, and visitors. Consider the following findings:

• Corporate Screening statistics show 12 percent of screened applicants have a criminal history.
• A 2020 ResumeLab survey found that one in three individuals admitted to lying on their resume.
• According to a 2018 U.S. Department of Justice report, 68 percent of criminals were re-arrested within three years of being released from prison.
• The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) estimates organizations lose 5 percent of their revenue every year due to employee fraud.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, an estimated 70 percent of individuals who use illegal drugs are employed in the workforce.

The turnaround time for a background check is typically 2-3 days, though criminal record searches alone may deliver results in as quickly as 24 hours. Our proprietary screening technology is configured to provide consistent updates on the status of every background check, so you always know where every candidate stands in the screening process.

Though timing is important, it can’t be prioritized over background check accuracy. To deliver accurate background check results, it is necessary to overcome the obstacles which can sometimes affect background check turnaround time. 

For example, the completeness of background data collected from the candidate, the type and quantity of searches requested, the responsiveness of verification sources, and unforeseen delays with local courts can all impact turnaround time. To overcome these obstacles, we work with you to create efficient background screening workflows and navigate the screening process effectively.

Most criminal background checks and credit history reports go back seven years. For employment history, it is often recommended to go back a minimum of seven years, though it may make sense to go back further if a candidate has had a lengthy gap in employment or has changed careers. There is no federal limit for how far back a criminal background check can go, but some states have imposed limits. 

In addition, there are other factors to consider when determining the need to go back further than seven years, for example, timing. Checking a candidate’s criminal or employment history beyond seven years can significantly lengthen the turnaround time for a background check. Another factor is relevance. Decades-old background data may not be particularly relevant to the position for which a candidate is being hired.

Given that any number of aspects in a candidate’s background can change from day to day, a background check is only as current as the information collection date. Though details such as name and address histories, past employment, and past education won’t change, new developments—for example, an individual’s criminal record, driving record, or license status—could make the information in a previous background check outdated and no longer valid.

Because an individual’s background can change over time, some employers conduct workforce monitoring to stay on top of new activity after the initial pre-employment background check. For example, healthcare employers can benefit from continuous workforce monitoring to stay up-to-date about any changes in employee license status or healthcare employment eligibility.