Background checks 101
Companies and employers often choose to run a background check before hiring an employee. This may be helpful for the employers to avoid liability and gain confidence in their job candidates. By making a small investment to perform a background check, a company can save thousands of dollars from hiring a bad employee. Some employers are even required by state or federal laws to run a background check on a potential employee or volunteer.
These include:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Mental health facilities
- Home health care agencies
- Child day cares
- Or any other institutions that provide care for children, sick or disabled persons or the elderly.
Screening process: The basics.
Before ordering a background check, it is important to know the basics of the actual process. There are a few levels of screenings, all of which are determined by how broadly they search into a candidate’s history. A thorough background check will include a criminal record check, alias search, SSN/address search and sex offender registry search. A more in-depth search may include county court records, credit reports, driving records, education verifications, past employments, and reference checks.
The pricing of the background check will vary depending on the agency performing the background check and the level of screening. For example, if the candidate has lived in many counties, the cost of their screening might rise due to county searches and court fees if any apply. However, most agencies will provide a flat rate for a basic background check.
When requesting a pre-employment background check, the employer must have a signed Disclosure and Authorization Form by the candidate before proceeding with the process.
Screening is done! Now what?
Once the screening is completed, a report is compiled by the agency and sent to the employer. A background check is meant to inform the employer about their potential employee, not to decide whether they should be hired. If a report comes back showing negative results, the employer must determine if they would like to move forward with the hiring process. If you choose not to hire the candidate based on the information provided by the agency, you are required to inform them of your intent. If the candidate chooses to dispute the agency will repeat screening. It is then up to the employer to make the final decision about their candidate.