What to Look for in a Background Screening Company? 2 Mar 2017

You’ve finally finished several rounds of interviews with a potential new hire and he/she seems like a good fit for the company.

Before making the hire, selecting the right background screening company is essential. Like the interview process, knowing what you’re looking for in a professional background screener helps ensure you make the right hiring choice based on all the available information.

Here are a few tips on what to look for when choosing a background screening business.

Years in Business

Conducting a background check can get complicated.

The number of years of experience in the industry is a key aspect to look for when selecting a background screening business. The longevity in the industry not only shows reliability, but a depth of knowledge of the multiple tools needed to perform a through background check on a potential candidate.

As part of the experience, testimonials of former and current customers can be an useful way to gain insight into the history and track record of a background screening business.

Price & What’s Included?

“So, how much does this service cost?”

While knowing the price point of the services provided by a background screening business is an important part of the decision-making process, equally valuable is the result of the service.

In short, find out which specific items will be screened as part of the service.

For new businesses or those unfamiliar with the background screening process, a screening company should be able to help guide you to make the best choices of what background areas are important to evaluate.

Efficiency, Speed & Accuracy

As the saying goes, “time is money.” A delayed background screening process could not only result in the delay of hiring your candidate of choice, but potentially cause a great candidate to be hired by another company.

More than 50 percent of employers “believe background checks take too long,” according to an article by W. Barry Nixon on Preemployment Directory.com citing a recent survey.

Ensure the background screening company has all the necessary tools to meet a mutually agreeable delivery timeline to help reduce your time-to-hire. Also, the company should continually be exploring and using best practices in the technology industry for efficient, effective, quality, and accurate results.

“The selectors of background screening firms need to focus their attention on providers that have highly efficient and quality assured processes in place since these are the backbone for providing fast delivery,” Nixon wrote. “Integral to these processes is having the right information technology tools.”

FCRA Compliance is Huge

With any background check, there are local, state, and national laws and guidelines essential to follow.

“Federal and state laws and regulations along with competitive market forces have combined to make professional background screens the most comprehensive, accurate and fair way for employers…to make informed decisions about prospective employees, volunteers, and tenants,” according to an article by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners.

Companies providing background checks should not only monitor and update their processes to reflect legal changes, but have solid, well-communicated processes in place to reduce the risk to their clients.

Data & Privacy Protection

When you’re working with a candidate going through a background screen, sensitive information is being handled. Ensuring the background screening company has the ability to keep confidential information private and protected, for your business and the job candidate, is critical.