If you’ve spent any time lately looking for professional background checks for pre-employment purposes, you’ve likely encountered the PBSA. The Professional Background Screening Association (or PBSA, for short) is a membership organization for the professional background screening industry. It was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Raleigh, NC. The PBSA’s mission is to “advance excellence in the screening profession.” What does this mean for businesses and individuals who use professional background screening companies? Let’s take a closer look.

The Professional Background Screening Association is a non-profit trade association that was originally established to “represent the interest of companies offering employment and tenant background screening services,” through regulated accreditations.

Originally founded back in 2003, the PBSA is currently going into its 20th year of existence, representing over 880 member companies ranging from mom-and-pop businesses to Fortune 100 companies.

On its mission to advance excellence in background screening practices, the PBSA adheres to several core values that inform the standards for its regulations and practices. The PBSA prides itself on putting the following values to the forefront:

·      Proactive engagement

·      Collaboration

·      Exceptional service for members

·      Compliance

·      Furthering knowledge

·      Integrity and ethics

The APAC was founded in 2011 after several years of development, and it is the PBSA’s international division. The APAC Council promotes professional background screening around the world and provides resources and networking opportunities for its members around the world, operating in nations ranging from China to Kazakhstan. Members of the APAC Council are granted the membership benefits of the PBSA in the United States.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (or FCRA) is an act passed in 1970 designed to improve the fairness, accuracy, and privacy of personal information gathered by credit reporting organizations. While the act was initially created to cover credit reporting agencies, however, it has been expanded over time to cover organizations that provide information to those agencies, as well as landlords, lenders, employers, and other entities that might use a consumer report.

The type of personal information gathered by such intelligence collecting agencies must be treated as sensitive and therefore cannot be shared with anyone who is not associated with an accredited screening group. It is also the obligation of the intelligence-gathering organization to investigate any contradicting information in order to set the record straight wherever possible.

There are several rights under the FCRA that serve to protect the average person and their sensitive information. Some of the rights provided to you by the FCRA include:

·      The right to find out what’s in your file, whether by paying a fee or free access

·      The right to ask for a current credit score every 12 months

·      The right to dispute the information gathered about you in both completeness and accuracy

·      If your sensitive information is used against you, the investigating party must tell you

·      Employers must gain consent before running a background check

·      Special rights for identity theft victims and active duty military personnel, providing greater protection

·      The right to seek damages if the FCRA is violated

There are many reasons why a person might seek a professional background check on someone, but the most common background checks are run for landlords and employers. These professional background checks are all regulated by the standards set forth by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission, which are both federally regulated, as well as several state consumer protection and privacy laws.

A background check serves to paint as complete a picture as possible of a person’s credit and history, ranging in scope from traffic violations to bans from medical practice. This crucial pre-employment step can save employers countless money and time by ruling out individuals that might not be a good fit for their agency for legal reasons.

The short answer to this question is yes. Provided you follow the PBSA accreditation program policies and participate in all the appropriate regulations, you are likely to become accredited. The accreditation process typically takes between 9-10 months to complete, including a 6-month pre-submission process and a 3- or 4-month audit. Once accreditation is achieved, it is good for five years—though there are several steps necessary to maintain this accreditation that occur at years three and four. If you are not extended accreditation on the first attempt, please note that an auditor may note areas of improvement for continued organization development. You will be able to re-apply after one year has elapsed.

So, why become a member of the PBSA? First, you can be confident that the company is following best practices and complying with the FCRA. Second, you can access professional resources and network with other background check professionals. But ultimately, the peace of mind that comes with carrying out a full-scale background check is priceless. If you’re considering using a professional background screening company, be sure to check if they are a member of the PBSA. You can find a list of members on the PBSA website.

Are you looking for professional pre-employment background checks “near me”? Contact Alpha and Omega Background Screening Solutions today!