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Background Records Search Types and How They Are Useful

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Regardless if you are an employee or employer, it’s important to know what kind of background records are available on the market. We are going to cover some of the background records searches that employers frequently use to retrieve information from a potential employee. Here’s a look at some of the types of background records on the market and how they’re useful.

Background Records Searches

Types of Background Records

Since many background records are often limited to search depth, several different checks have been created to cover a greater search area. For example, some criminal background records only offer searches in your geographic area. This means that if crimes were committed in another state, they might go unlisted in a local or county criminal search.

To avoid this, employers will often utilize multiple background records or a national criminal background check to make sure that they search the greatest geographical area.

Such background records that are often utilized are:

  • State Criminal Records – Some states offer a statewide search, so you can search for criminal records within the state of residence.
  • National Criminal Records – For a broader search that should include the state criminal records search, this search can identify crimes in different locations across the United States.
  • County Criminal Records – These background record searches can find felonies and misdemeanors in the 3,000+ county courts within the United States. This is the most accurate type of criminal search, but you will need to know the county in which to search.
  • Federal Criminal Records – Whether embezzlement, fraud, or tax evasion, Federal Criminal Records can uncover prosecuted crimes within the Federal court system.
  • Prohibited and Restricted Parties Search – These searches can help you discover if your possible employee is an illegal gun trader, narcotic trafficker, money launderer, or terrorist.

These are only a handful of the background search products on the market, and there are other types that can assist you in finding the information you need. When screening potential workers, background records can help determine whether or not an employee is right for your business.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

4 Things Employers Should Never Do When Screening Potential Workers

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Background screening is assisting companies in hiring the most qualified and trustworthy staff possible. However, there are some definite “dos and don’ts” to bear in mind when engaged in screening potential workers.

Screening Potential Workers

The following are four things employers should never do while screening potential workers.

1. Don’t: Use One Screening Plan For All Positions

While it’s understandable that the protocol for screening potential workers should be streamlined and easy to implement, it’s important that it also be flexible and job-specific. In effect, each job or job type should have a screening process that is customized to its role and requirements. The connection between the job and its screening elements should be abundantly clear.

2. Don’t: Forget About “Ban the Box” Laws

Laws restricting when and how much employers can inquire about an applicant’s criminal history are being enacted in many states and cities all over the nation. Most Ban the Box laws prohibit asking about a criminal past in the beginning stages of the application process in order to exclude them from the pool of possible hires.

It may come into play later, but the exact timing depends upon the laws for each state. It is crucial that employers know and abide by all the specifics of Ban the Box laws for their area. A professional employment screening company can assist with navigating these laws correctly.

3. Don’t: Be Inconsistent with Stringency

Some employers may be tempted to forego a complete background check for certain employees while conducting full background checks when screening potential workers. Doing so could be a recipe for legal action down the road. Also, no matter how trustworthy or impressive someone might seem, they could be concealing skeletons in their closet that would make them a liability in the workplace. Better to use the same level of stringency with every worker to ensure compliance with the law as well as safe, successful hiring.

4. Don’t: DIY Employee Background Screening

While there are criminal databases that can be searched online, they aren’t the only source for key information. Source records from state and local courts should be used to verify the information found in national databases. Employers unfamiliar with the ins and outs of this process may miss key data about an applicant. Outsourcing criminal background checks to a professional employment screening service can help to ensure each applicant is thoroughly screened.

An increasing number of businesses are screening potential workers and using background screening in their hiring process. However, it must be done appropriately in order to ensure compliance and success. Businesses should take steps to avoid these four pitfalls during their employment screening process.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

Part-Time Employee And Juvenile Background Checks

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Juvenile Background Checks

Background checks are par for the course among full-time employers, but an increasing number of part-time employers are also following suit. The result is a greater number of high school employees being asked to satisfy background screening requirements, with many of these young workers not even having reached the age of eighteen. Although records for young offenders are often sealed, juvenile background checks have a way of revealing details indicative of whether a particular teen could be a risk to take on. Equipped with this information, employers must determine whether juvenile applicants who fail to pass obligatory juvenile background checks are worth the risk they pose.

Why Screen for Juvenile Background Checks

When making hiring decisions, some employers are quick to give younger applicants the benefit of the doubt, with many failing to even bother with a criminal background search for teenage prospects. These employers believe that they can learn everything they need through the interview process or, perhaps, by checking a few references. While both approaches are excellent for determining whether an applicant has a future with the company for which they have applied, this may not be enough to determine whether a young applicant could pose a risk if hired. With teens, as with all other applicants, background screening can remove some doubt.

Even trusting employers find themselves performing background screening on adolescent applicants simply because they believe that it is fair to all of the other employees. If one applicant must pass a background screening in order to be hired, it is only fair to ask the same of the others, regardless of age.

What To Do If A Teenage Applicant Fails A Juvenile Background Checks Screening

Failed juvenile background checks are of major concern for any employer, as this most likely indicates that the applicant has committed a crime within the last year or two. Can the prospective employee be trusted to have changed his or her ways since then? It is important to follow through and ask the employee for an explanation, as well as proof of completed community service hours. Some leniency is to be expected, as teenagers are prone to mistakes. Through the criminal background follow-up process, worried employers can determine whether potentially problematic adolescent applicants are likely to make similar mistakes while on the job.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

4 Tips for Verifying References of a Rental Applicant

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One of the most important components of screening potential tenants is asking for and verifying references. References from past landlords, employers and others who can verify their character can help to confirm the applicant is a trustworthy individual. The same procedure should be used for every potential tenant in order to stay compliant with the Federal Fair Housing Act. Inconsistencies could be seen as discriminatory and might cause a tenant to take legal action.

Verifying References

Landlords can use these 4 tips for verifying references.

1. The Rental Application

A quality rental application can assist landlords in conducting a thorough check of a tenant’s references. They can be created from scratch; however, there are also a number of pre-made forms that can be downloaded from the Internet. There should be lines related to gathering information about former landlord(s), rental dates, amount of rent paid per month, number of late payments, and any legal action taken. The applicant’s date of birth, social security number, employer references and character references should also be collected.

2. Authorization for Background, Reference and Credit Check

Written authorization should be obtained from the applicant allowing the landlord to complete a background search and credit check as well as for verifying references related to past rental history and employment. This can be easily accomplished with text on the application with a line for the applicant to sign and date it verifying that they give their permission.

3. Verifying References by Calling Previous Landlords and Employers

The applicant’s previous two landlords and employers should be called to verify their track record as a tenant and an employee. Valuable information can be yielded from these conversations that can help to determine if an applicant is a good fit. Some landlords and employers may ask to see a copy of the written permission given by the applicant.

4. Check Credit History and Criminal Background

Reference verifications can be augmented with a credit history and criminal background check using a tenant screening service. Using a professional tenant background screening service requires a fee, but in many cases it can be passed along to the rental applicant. Some states have specific rules and limits for doing so; landlords should verify the laws for their area. They might also consider refunding this cost from the first month’s rent.

Verifying references and having a thorough tenant evaluation performed can help landlords to connect with quality tenants. These four steps are key to rental applicant verification and can help to prevent stress and headaches down the road.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

A Background Check Goes Deeper than You Think

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Reviewing a person’s criminal history is of great importance, especially in certain industries; however, a background check can be used to gain access to lots of other valuable information.

Background CheckAccording to a recent survey, most businesses (80 percent) perform one or more background checks when hiring new workers. More than half of the respondents stated they carry out educational verification checks, and almost half of them look at applicants’ driving records. And while large firms tend to conduct these checks more readily than small businesses, the latter nonetheless has hopped on the background check bandwagon.

Here’s a quick rundown of four common background search products that businesses should be using when hiring new workers.

Criminal History

Both felony and misdemeanor convictions can be identified through a criminal history background check. In some instances, it may even be possible to view charges that were brought forth but dismissed — manslaughter, domestic abuse, drug charges. Each state has its own laws regarding criminal history checks, such as providing access to only the past seven years of a person’s life.

Credit Report

A background check that reviews an applicant’s credit report is advantageous for positions that provide access to money or clients’ personal information. Bank tellers and loan officers are excellent examples of people who should have to undergo a credit report check in order to be hired.

Educational Check and Credential Check

For positions that require degrees, certain credentials, or certifications, educational checks are of the utmost importance. There are many applicants who falsify their information, and when hiring these people, this puts a huge liability on the company. Take for instance a healthcare facility that hires a nurse. If the nurse doesn’t truly have her nursing license and an incident were to take place, this could be detrimental to the facility’s ability to remain open.

Social Security Background Check

This background check is often overlooked, but it can deliver in-depth details about a person’s past. With a social security check, it’s possible to identify alias names of a person as well as the addresses of where the applicant lived during the past seven years. This means if Joe applies for a job and says that he has lived in Washington all of his life, yet his social security background check says he’s lived in five different states over the past seven years, then it will become obvious that he’s not telling the truth. Plus, by identifying alias names, this provides businesses the ability to conduct more comprehensive criminal background searches.

Disclaimer Statement: All information presented is never intended as legal advice and is for information purposes only.

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