What Can a Background Check Include?

Why Are Background Checks Important?

Every new employee brings with them a chance to increase productivity, but they also bring with them a business risk. Background checks can assist you in making sure you made the right hiring selection and maintain the profitability and productivity of your company.

What Results From a Background Check?

Due to the wide range of criteria that various record searches involve; the solution is complicated. Depending on the type of background screening, a background review may include information about criminal history, driving history, civil court records, credit history checks, job history, education, and more. If you use a background search tool such as BeenVerified, then you may also be able to see records of social media accounts or property occupation records.

While every employer has a slightly different policy regarding background checks—for instance, Amazon.com’s regulations are probably different from a small-town local restaurant—understanding the fundamental components of a background report is helpful for both employers and job seekers.

Continue reading to discover more about various records reports and what they might reveal.

Background Checks Typically Include These Elements

A variety of background checks can be performed on job seekers. Depending on the sector, the nature of the position, and the employer’s preferences, a background check may contain different information.

An employer may select from the following background check types:

Education Report

Another common pre-employment check is the verification of education. When hiring new employees, the majority of prospective companies demand that candidates meet certain educational requirements. For instance, a lot of firms demand a bachelor’s degree from job candidates. Some positions require higher education levels or more specialized academic credentials, such as a master’s degree.

The majority of candidates, according to statistics, inflate their talents and abilities on their resumes. This dishonesty extends to both the educational background and career history. As a result, services that provide education verification are crucial to ensuring that employers make informed choices. These investigations can reveal whether an applicant actually attended the university listed on their résumé. Such evaluations can also indicate the person’s graduation status, the degree they obtained, and attendance dates.

Previous Work History

Searches for criminal records are only one aspect of exercising due diligence. Most businesses also think it’s critical to check the accuracy of the information applicants submit on their resumes.

Employers need a way to confirm applicants’ assertions because a criminal background check will not show anything about a person’s prior work or education. An employment verification check verifies that the employment history details a candidate supplied in their application are accurate. On resumes, embellishments and even plain lies are not unusual. Verifying employment entails getting in touch with former employers—typically HR personnel—and confirming the accuracy of crucial details such as job title, tenure, and responsibilities.

What employers can and cannot say about a former employee during such verification is one frequent query. Contrary to widespread misconception, no federal legislation limits the information that businesses may reveal about former employees. An HR manager can decide to share facts and provide an explanation, for example, if a company fired an applicant from a prior position.

However, because of the risk of libel litigation, the majority of employers take precautions in this area. Employers often avoid making extensive comments about the morals or work habits of former employees. Therefore, most employment verifications focus on details that are easily verifiable and objective.

Criminal History

If an employer knew—or ought to have known—that an employee had a relevant criminal history, they may be held liable for negligent hiring claims if the employee is later charged with additional wrongdoing. By uncovering histories of criminal convictions, information from a background check for employment may assist protect business owners.

Criminal records checked for job purposes may reveal local, state, and federal convictions. The following offenses may be reported:

• Currently pending charges,
• Misdemeanor convictions,
• Felonies,
• Charges acquitted,
• Charges dismissed

When analyzing the information from this type of background check for employment, employers should use caution.

Credit Report

Credit checks may be required for candidates for financial positions or for anyone trusted with personally identifiable information (PII), such as tax preparers. Any current debts, bankruptcies, financial judgments, and even payment history are displayed here.

Social Security Number Verification

A Social Security Number trace offers any other identities or aliases associated with a possible employee that may be checked during the criminal background check, as well as information about where they have lived and worked. The Form I-9, which must be completed in order to verify that all new hires have the proper documentation to work in the nation, also requires an SSN. Federal law requires this to be done in person, but COVID-19’s temporary guidance permitted businesses to conduct document reviews electronically.

Report on Healthcare Sanctions

This checks to see if medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, PAs, and other high-level practitioners, have ever been banned from taking part in federally financed programs like Medicare and Medicaid due to a transgression.

Driving Records Verification

An applicant’s driving history is compiled here, including any infractions, suspensions, collisions, convictions, or other disciplinary actions.

Background Check FBI

The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System is typically mentioned in relation to FBI checks (IAFIS). The focal point of the FBI’s background investigation procedure is IAFIS. More than 70 million records in a fingerprint database make up this collection. Criminal offenders, people who have lawfully acquired a handgun, and people who have applied for jobs that require fingerprinting all have fingerprints on file in the FBI database. Numerous jobs in the public sector, academia, and healthcare are included.

IAFIS is not accessible to all employers. For instance, while the typical retail store cannot, public schools can do FBI fingerprint checks. FBI background checks are not important to the majority of employers, especially private businesses.

Personal Background Checks With Consumer Credentials

Consumer Credentials is an online consumer background check service that has given thousands of people around the country useful information. While not a resource for employers, candidates can get personal screening insights that may help them in their job search.

Consumer Credentials make online background checks simple, providing nationwide criminal and credit records reports direction to consumers. The benefits that Consumer Credentials offers are as follows:

• In as little as 8 hours, comprehensive background screening findings will be supplied.
• A screening company with PBSA accreditation that people and organizations around the world rely on.
• Your results will help you win over potential employers.