Using Employee Background Checks

Online background check resources for pre-employment screens

By Trisha Schulz

The unknowns loom when you hire someone on to your company, but you can protect yourself by using background check agencies to fill in the blanks. Hiring the wrong employee can really hurt your business in the long run when it comes to training costs, high turnover rates and lost productivity.

Gone are the days when you can make a good decision based on a face-to-face interview and resume alone; that's where pre-employment screening services come in. An extensive background check, while not always fail-proof, can alleviate some hiring anxieties.

Consider the following information on using employee background checks:

1. A background check for employees may include accessing information from court records at all levels, DMV records, worker's compensation claims, credit bureau data, prior employer information and educational institution records, among others.

2. With all the information you need to track down, it may be in your best interest (both for time and financial constraints) to consider hiring from employee background check services.

3. The benefits of a pre-employment background screening can include decreased liability, cost savings, effective use of resources and reduced employee turnover, among others.

Utilize background check companies to access employee criminal records

Although some offenses can be overlooked, you may want to shy away from hiring someone with an extensive criminal history as the past can sometimes dictate the future. Violence in the workplace and theft are real threats that you may have to deal with, regardless of who you hire, so take the extra step to perform a criminal background check to potentially prevent those situations.
Try: Log on to AAAinfoSystems.com or check out Accu-Screen to see how criminal background checks are conducted and what information can be obtained from certain sources.

Find a background check company that provides Social Security number verification

Public policy may dictate rules on documenting legal status of your workers. Protect yourself and your business with a check into an applicant's Social Security number. The lack of a SSN number or inaccurate information linked with the number should raise a red flag.
Try: A-check America and AccuCheck Investigations can verify Social Security number validity as well as give any names or locations associated with the number.

Conduct employee background checks for education verification

Resume fraud is becoming more of a problem as the economy forces individuals to do whatever it takes to land a job. Your business credibility depends on the hiring of qualified workers so you want to be sure to check out the applicant's education and previous experience. Keep in mind that the applicant may be liable if found to have submitted a fraudulent application.
Try: American Background Information Services supplies education verifications, along with employment, personal and professional references and professional licensing verifications. California-based A Matter of Fact performs education verifications, and explains strengths and weaknesses of the verifications and the sources used.

If the job requires driving a company vehicle or driving on company time, it may be in your best interest to do a driver's license record search to find any traffic offenses or major crashes in the applicant's driving history.