Background checks are necessary to run any business successfully and to keep your other employees safe. You may have seen the news of sexual assault or other attacks in the workplace. Failing to do the screening properly may also lead to such situations in your company.
It’s mandatory for all employers to go through this process to avoid getting involved in any kind of legal issues. So, before you plan to perform this check, let’s try to understand the factors included in the background checks.
What are the things a background check can reveal?
The verification steps may differ depending on the industry type. It also includes the factors like the position an applicant is asking for or the employers’ preference.
Although, the most common type of background checks are past employment and criminal records. The tests also consist of drug testing or reference checks. The main purpose of this practice is to feel confident about the person you hired.
Types of background checks
You can perform several types of background checks on your employee. Let’s check out what they are.
Social security number check
By this check, the employer can easily find out the location of the employee. It also reveals the names of other people connected with the person. This verification is helpful for checking any criminal background.
1. The national criminal record database check
It involves checking the applicant’s criminal history outside of the state they live and work. The National Criminal Record Database keeps millions of data you can search for.
2. State-wise criminal record search
It will help identify disputes by collecting data from the correction department or law enforcement all over the state.
3. County criminal record search
By collecting the information from the social security trace, you can further verify where the applicant has worked or lived. This check is pretty common and often performed by employers.
4. Fingerprint background check
This check is not essential everywhere. But it is mandatory by law in some specific sectors. Such as hospitals, news media, daycare, finance, and other sensitive work may require this test before hiring any applicant.
5. Terrorist watch list
This background check can identify a list of people who were suspected or associated with any kind of terrorist activity. Employers can verify this by collecting information from the FBI Terrorist Screening center.
6. Sex offender registry
This background check is crucial to make your working environment a safe zone for other co-workers. By this verification, you can identify if the applicant was involved in any sexual offense or not previously.
7. Driving record verification
Some industries need this type of background check as well. It involves checking the driving record related to accidents, violations, or suspensions.
8. Credit report check
This check is necessary when the employer hires someone in a financial or other trusted position. Especially where applicants have the access to companies’ funds. This verification reveals the bankruptcies, payment history, and even current debts.
9. Employment verification
It includes the applicant’s previous employment information. That includes identification such as job title, description, salary, and past work performance.
10. Educational verification
It will reveal whether what an employee claimed in his resume is genuine or not. This background check is necessary to identify the degrees, subjects taken, and passing years.
11. Background reference check
This check will verify the work performances, attitude, and potentiality of applicants. It is by having conversations with past employers.
12. Professional qualification check
This identification will confirm the professional license of the applicant is genuine. It is vital in finance, healthcare, and engineering industries.
Should employers perform background checks by law?
There are many industries where background checks are compulsory. But you must know the laws may differ by state. And in some specific industries like healthcare, finance, and government jobs.
Here going through background checks is common before offering any position. The best policy is to be in the safe zone, even if it’s not mandated by law. In itself, screening should be worthwhile due to the threat of a negligent hiring lawsuit.
Is free background checks enough?
You will find plenty of services online that will give the results of a person’s criminal history within a minute. But you must know these background checks will only scan the databases that are incomplete most of the time. The best option will be to hire an expert third-party company like Alertchecks that will deliver you complete details of an applicant with great accuracy.
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