Tag Archives: Pre-Employment Screening

Modern Age of Information Interchange and Employment Transiency

A good time to double check your employment screening list

For US Businesses looking to take advantage of modern age background screening tools this article lists them out nicely and explains each their respective usages along with the benefits they bring.

With electronic data at our fingertips all day via any computer with Internet access, going to a site like CriminalBackgroundRecords.com to pull instant background checks fits nicely into today’s technology luxuries.

Utilizing social security traces to get previous addresses allows employers to pinpoint where they conduct criminal history checks.  Taking some time to review your employment screening process may result into creating a new process that incorporates instant criminal checks, SSN validation, professional verification and perhaps even a federal court search.

Full article: Employment Screening Checklist for United States Businesses

Seasonal Hires and Your Company Reputation – How a Criminal Background Check can Help

Anyone that wears your company uniform or works on your staff including seasonal or part time employees still represents you and your company.  With five finger discounts and free handouts to family and friends benevolently being distributed by part time workers can cost your business lots of money and even worse destroy that great reputation it took you 20 years to build.

Running an instant criminal background check and social security validation is a fast and efficient means to mitigate the risk associated with seasonal and part time employees.  Part time employment is necessary for businesses that experience higher demand during the holiday season, but if they are committing fraud, embezzlement, theft, property damage or destroying your hard earned reputation the benefits they bring quickly fizzle into impediments.

Full article: Holiday Hire Background CheckSeasonal Employee Criminal Background Check

Finally Employment Background Checks designed for Human Resource Professionals

From a look into the day to day responsibilities of human resource professionals in the United States the creation of a new background check system emerged that provides quality background checks and screening packages at an affordable price.

Employment Background Checks - Human Resource ProfessionalsNot only does the system give you more for your employment screening dollar it also supplies formatted criminal reports and other background history report in an intuitive and easy to understand way.  Placing orders is faster and can include multiple background checks within the same order minimizing data entry and allowing for all your search results to come back as one complete order and be available for viewing online and printing.

Employment background checks are essential to any effective employment screening process, but CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is showing that they don’t have to be a headache or budget buster to be successful.

Full article:  Employment Background Check for HR Employment Screening

Now Offering Professional Verification Services including Education Verification, Employment Verification, and Credential Checks

We are now offering all types of verifications to our monthly billed clients including Reference checks and Credential Checks like professional license verification.

A professional verification is where a trained staffed member seeks to validate certain information that an applicant has revealed, particularly on their application for employment or other signed form.  Renting or leasing an apartment also involves a person filling out and signing an application; which also makes it a prime candidate for professional verification to validate the applicant’s truthfulness.  In the multi-family industry (also known as the apartment management industry) employment verification requests on prospective renters are common practice along with performing a credit check and criminal background check.  Education verifications and specific credential or license verifications are common in employment screening policies to validate that a job applicant does in fact have the specific degree, license or certificate required for a specific position being sought to fill.  If a hospital is looking for an LPN (licensed practical nurse) they need to be confident that the person they are considering for hire is indeed qualified for the position.  This confidence is gained by verifying that such an applicant does in fact have the specific credentials, degree or license required to practice such line of work.

ALL VERIFICATIONS AND REFERENCE CHECKS PERFORMED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE ARE CONDUCTED BY TRAINED PROFESSIONAL VERIFIERS THAT ALL LIVE AND WORK IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Verifications are not performed instantly as the nature of this business requires verbal communication between a trained professional verifier and the verifying party.  The verifying party could be an institution, business, organization or specific person.  When performing an employment verification the previous employer (typically HR, human resources) is contacted.  The verifier seeks to validate information with the respective verifying party.  Professional verifiers (including those used by CriminalBackgroundRecords.com) proactively attempt to speak with the verifying party to gain specific information regarding an applicant, usually to confirm that what the applicant put on their application is indeed accurate and correct.

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is now offering the following Verification Checks:

Employment Verification Check – Our employment verification background check verifies an applicant’s previous or current employment, start date, end date, title, salary, reason for leaving, and eligibility for rehire.  We will also supply the name, title and phone number of the verifying source usually HR (human resources).

Education Verification Check – Our education verification background check verifies an applicant’s school, dates of attendance, and degree or major, and GPA (when requested).

Professional Reference Verification – Our professional reference check verification seeks to obtain a professional reference from a single specified source such as a previous co-worker, direct supervisor, or associate.

Personal Reference Verification – Our personal reference check verification seeks to obtain a personal reference from a single specified source such as a friend or associate.

Credentials Verification Check – Our credentials verification background check verifies the authenticity of an applicant’s license, certification or credentials and gives the date issued, expiration date and status with the issuing authority.  Our credentials verification (credential check) service includes medical license verifications.

More Information about our Verification Services:

  • Most verification requests are completed within 3-business days
  • CriminalBackgroundRecords.com uses full-time professional background researcher’s who are real people living in the United States of America who specialize in employment, education and credentials verifications.
  • Employment checks are conducted under the strict guidelines of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  Each monthly billed customer using us for employment screening is provided with important employment screening information and sample forms.  Once they are logged in as a member they get access to the following forms for download:
    • What Employers Should Know About Federal Laws Governing Consumer Reports
    • A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
    • Sample Authorization and Employee Release Forms
    • Sample Pre-Adverse & Adverse Action Letters
  • Over 90% of verification and reference attempts performed by professional verifiers return definitive conclusions, with 3/4’s of those results containing completed verification and/or reference reports.
    Definitive Conclusions are defined by the following:

    • An order that is completed with relevant data
    • Verifier did not have a record for the applicant
    • Verifier could not be located or is no longer in business
    • Verifier could not provide a reference due to company/organization policy
    • Verifier could not provide results for another legitimate reason

In the background verification line of business it is commonplace to have to pay additional third party fees in order to complete verification requests.  At CriminalBackgroundRecords.com we pay these fees as they come up for our customers and only charge them $19.95 per verification regardless of the costs we incur.  This is a preferred method as it gives our customers one flat fee with no hidden charges so they know exactly what their fiscal exposure will be, and can budget accordingly.

This has been a CriminalBackgroundRecords.com News Publication – All rights reserved
CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is “An Information Enterprises Solution”

Central Billing for Multiple Background Check Accounts

Now Offering Central Billing for Multiple Accounts
Along with Administrative Usage Monitoring, Reporting & Control
For Large Companies and Organizations in the USA

Due to large demand of central control for criminal background checks, employment screening and tenant screening in the USA, CriminalBackgroundRecords.com has created a new environment now available for companies and organizations operating in multiple offices, areas and states.  These clients wanted multiple accounts/users, and central administrative usage monitoring and reporting.  This is now possible with CriminalBackgroundRecords.com and is becoming a much more popular background screening solution with large processing customers throughout America.

This is how it works and how we customize this solution for well qualified customers:

  1. Define how many individual user accounts need to be setup along with which background checks each of them are allowed to perform.
  2. Each user account needs to fill out our Monthly Billing application form as each User ID needs to be registered (we walk each individual user through this process if need be).
  3. We setup a Master Account that can monitor and view the transactional usage & other activity on all the individual user accounts from one view.
    • We will create the Master Account for you or whoever is going to be overseeing/monitoring your transactions including all your criminal background check orders.
  4. We will send you a monthly invoice each month that includes all of the individual user accounts on it.  Very simple, just one bill each month for all activity.
  5. If your goal is to start running background checks in such a system ASAP, we will have a business development representative work with you on setting up all your accounts and other necessary prep work.  Remember significant volume discounts are available so please ask about our pricing.
  6. We can have all your user accounts, master account, billing etc., all setup within a few days!

This opportunity is extremely valuable to large corporations, organizations and government agencies that have or want individual user accounts across multiple offices or states.  This new platform gives your organization the flexibility of multiple user accounts and the security and oversight that comes with central control (through usage monitoring and all encompassing reports).  CriminalBackgroundRecords.com delivers this new platform complete with central invoicing, administrative access and only one bill to pay each month which includes a breakdown of all individual user account activity.

For more information regarding this new platform or to sign up for it, please contact our Business Development Team at:  bd@infoeinc.com or bd@CriminalBackgroundRecords.com

This has been a CriminalBackgroundRecords.com News Publication – All rights reserved
CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is “An Information Enterprises Solution”

Employment Screening Background Checks & FCRA Compliance

The staff at CriminalBackgroundRecords.com has heard from human resources managers, individuals and other corporate personnel throughout the United States regarding issues pertaining to employment screening practices.  What we have found is that there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty regarding the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) and what real life employment screening practices need to do to remain or become compliant. The top issues on this list include how to appropriately use public records like criminal background checks in the business world, how to protect yourself from applicant fraud, and how to ensure that your company has procedures compliant with applicable law relating to hiring, firing or promoting of employees primarily as defined in the FCRA.  This article addresses these concerns and demonstrates why using a background check provider like CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a wise choice in today’s market place.  The availability and feasibility of quality criminal background checks, along with social security validation, gives employers the ability to effectively screen applicants within their desired timeframe demanded by the industry.

Today there is another tool available to employers in addition to criminal background checks.   This tool is the social security number & address history trace.  This important new component to a sound employment screening model is known as an SSN Trace, SSN Validation, or SSN Check.  This quick search can determine if the SSN being used by an applicant is in fact valid, and to ensure that this applicant is in truth who they claim to be.  Performing a criminal background check today in conjunction with an SSN Validation and address history trace is a wise choice.

Commonly asked Employment Screening Questions:

  • Do all employers need to have applicants or employees sign a release form before performing a background check? YES, and must give disclosure (FCRA – 1681B).
  • If an applicant/employee requests to review a copy of their criminal background record, does the employer need to show or provide a copy of the criminal record to the applicant? NO, under federal law you are not required too, unless there is an adverse action.  However, state laws vary; for instance Massachusetts Law gives all employees full access to their files at their place of employment.
  • If an employer takes adverse action on an applicant or employee because of a criminal background check, does the employer need to give notice stating that a criminal background check has adversely affected them? YES, employers must notify the applicant.
  • Are employers required to keep criminal background checks on file? Currently this is up to the judgment of the employer.
  • Knowing that a county criminal search is the most trusted criminal history check available in the USA today, why do employers run instant state or instant national criminal background checks first and not county checks? Coverage – They want a larger area covered to enhance their chances of finding a record if in fact one exists.  Speed – A county search can take days to complete and in order to not create a bottleneck in employment screening processes, the faster searches are preferred.  NOTE:  The quality of instant criminal searches has dramatically improved over the years.  Statewide instant criminal background checks & the National instant criminal background check if accessed through a provider like CriminalBackgroundRecords.com are now very reliable.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) & Background Checks (Public Records) for Employment Purposes
(Sections 604, 606, & 615 of the FCRA explain the responsibilities of using consumer reports for employment purposes.)

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com adheres to part 2 of section 613 of the FCRA
CriminalBackgroundRecords.com (a site owned and operated by Information Enterprises Inc.) has customers that use its criminal background checks for employment purposes.  For such customers the site maintains strict procedures to ensure that whenever a criminal history record is found in conjunction with legitimate employment purposes, that it is confirmed through a county background check to ensure that the record in question is in fact current and accurate.  These policies are in place so that employers can be confident that the criminal information they are receiving is both complete and current.

The FCRA is designed primarily to protect the privacy of consumer report information and to guarantee that the information supplied by consumer reporting agencies is as accurate as possible. Amendments to the FCRA — which went into effect September 30, 1997 — significantly increase the legal obligations of employers who use consumer reports. Congress expanded employer responsibilities because of concern that inaccurate or incomplete consumer reports could cause applicants to be denied jobs or cause employees to be denied promotions unjustly. The amendments ensure (1) that individuals are aware that consumer reports may be used for employment purposes and agree to such use, and (2) that individuals are notified promptly if information in a consumer report may result in a negative employment decision.   Federal Trade Commission – Details and URL found at the bottom of this document

Most of today’s employers perform criminal background checks on their applicants.  They also pull other consumer reports as part of their pre-employment screening processes.  And some employers even perform background checks on current employees (usually for reassignment, promotion or retention purposes).  Not all employers are the same, for instance; one employer may only want a reference check while others may want to see driving records and criminal history reports.  For security jobs or high level positions usually an investigative consumer report will be ordered.  This report differs from the others in one key aspect; it includes interviews with the applicant’s friends, neighbors, and associates which addresses the very character of the person.  An investigative consumer report has separate legal issues concerning it.  These investigative reports have stricter compliance issues than regular consumer reports like credit checks or criminal history checks and therefore have specific guidelines associated with them that are spelled out in the FCRA (You can read them in Section 606 – Disclosure of investigative consumer reports).

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com actively incorporates compliance issues into its product offering, and constantly is enhancing the quality of its background reports.  A sound screening policy that we would recommend to employers is to run a social security validation check along with a statewide or national criminal check first and then if a record is found (that would adversely effect the applicant) to then run a county search where the record was found in.  This ensures you are getting the most accurate and complete record available before making any employment related decisions based in part or in whole by the public record information we provided.

Bundled Employment Screening Background Check Packages are now available from CriminalBackgroundRecords.com and include combinations of varying criminal background checks and a social security validation & address history trace.  Each option includes a free National Sex Offender Check, Terrorist Database Search & USA Most Wanted List Search.  Please visit us online at:  www.CriminalBackgroundRecords.com where you can become a member for free and start accessing quality criminal background checks today, over the Internet in minutes!

If you are interested in reading more about employment screening background checks practices and the use of consumer reports; we recommend that you, employers, and human resource professionals throughout the United States read the following article from the Federal Trade Commission under “Facts for Businesses” titled:  “Using Consumer Reports:  What Employers Need to Know” found at the following URL:  www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/credit/bus08.shtm

This has been a CriminalBackgroundRecords.com News Publication – All rights reserved
CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is “An Information Enterprises Solution”