Background checks must be accurate if you want to hire the right people. Without it, you’re squandering time and money while also increasing the risk of hiring the wrong person.
Background checks can give you the confidence that your customers, patients, and employees are safe and secure if they’ve been thoroughly investigated. There is no guarantee of accuracy when you use a random background screening service. There’s even a chance that hiring decisions could be made based on inaccurate or incomplete information.
How to know the background check is not accurate
According to a survey conducted by PBSA and HR.com in 2021, employers are most concerned with quality and accuracy when selecting a background screening provider. When working with a screening provider that lacks processes for delivering consistent quality assurance, some employers find it difficult to achieve quality and accuracy. Inaccuracies and incomplete information in background check results are often the first signs of a lack of accuracy in background screening. Because of this, you run the risk of making poor hiring decisions and being subject to penalties under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other similar legislation (FCRA).
Background checks that are not as precise as you need them to be for a legally compliant and well-managed hiring process show some of the following common signs:
- There is a discrepancy between the results you’ve received for John Smith versus Jon Smythe, for example.
- Once hired, you discovered that the background check did not reveal any prior criminal activity.
- Records that had been sealed or expunged were included in a background check report.
- The results of a background check are delivered to you within a few hours, but the information is sparse.
- A high percentage of candidates dispute the results of your background checks.
- You are given “incomplete” verifications for your education and work history.
Despite the FCRA’s requirement that background screening firms “follow reasonable procedures to assure accuracy,” each firm has its own unique approach to achieving this objective. As a result, the accuracy of background checks is not guaranteed. As long as the following steps are followed, background screening can become an integral part of your organization’s overall screening process.
- to you within a few hours, but the information is sparse.
- A high percentage of candidates dispute the results of your background checks.
- You’re given “incomplete” verifications of your credentials, including your education and employment history.
A policy covering all of your background check processes provides guidance to both internal HR and recruiting stakeholders as well as your screening company. More than a formality or an internal requirement, a background screening policy helps you avoid the common pitfalls of poor background screening and create consistency across all hiring locations.
The following items, at the very least, should be included in your background check policy:
- Positions that require drug testing and background checks in your company
- In each background check, there are a number of background elements.
Conducting FCRA-compliant corrective action reviews within your own organization
Transparency
You need more than a guarantee of accuracy from your background check service. Additionally, quality control and regulatory compliance procedures should be in place to ensure the accuracy of the data. You can better understand how your screening provider helps you protect your organization and workforce if you build a relationship with them based on frequent communication and openness.
For your organization’s background checks, you should expect the following benefits from your background check provider:
- Audit trails and action histories with dates and timestamps to aid in the tracking of background check activities
- Screening services with clear pricing, so that customers know exactly what they’re getting for their money
- Law changes that could affect your background screening process.
- Customizable technology that can help you save money and perform better background checks.
Opportunities to integrate existing systems
With integrated screening and hiring systems in place, it is easier to conduct thorough and accurate background checks. An applicant tracking system can be integrated with background screening technology to reduce the amount of data that needs to be entered twice and increase the likelihood that the screening process will begin with more complete information about the candidate. Integration has the additional benefit of preventing candidates from being asked for the same information more than once, resulting in a better candidate experience.
Background screening legislation, both at the federal and state levels, is constantly changing, so it is imperative that you review your program on a regular basis. Expanded technology features and new trends in background screening offer a wide range of ways to incorporate best practices into your screening process. Improved background checks are now possible thanks to advancements such as self-sovereign identity verification (SSID) and continuous monitoring.
Employers should work with a background screening provider that communicates new trends to customers and provides quarterly reviews as part of their overall service offerings in order to stay up to date on the latest developments in background screening.
Ao Services; Improve the Odds for an Accurate Background Check
To get an accurate picture of someone, you must look into their past, and only their past. As a result, it is possible to check the wrong candidate if the proper procedures are not in place.
That’s why you need to work with a background check company that does a full SSN trace for every background check. Each candidate’s social security number can be traced using the SSN trace, which identifies the names and addresses associated with the number.
However, an SSN trace isn’t enough on its own. Every name and address found in the SSN trace should be checked by your screening provider. This increases the likelihood of obtaining all relevant background information for a candidate and improving the accuracy of the background check. Contact AoO Services located in Florida to help you conduct an accurate background check on your future employees.