{"id":253,"date":"2020-10-19T16:16:18","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T16:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/blog\/?p=84"},"modified":"2023-10-17T15:34:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T15:34:42","slug":"what-to-look-for-when-picking-a-background-check-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/what-to-look-for-when-picking-a-background-check-company\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Look for When Picking a Background Check Company"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What happens when you don\u2019t use background checks when hiring new employees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You put your employer at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A background check is done by a consumer reporting agency (CRA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CRAs specialize in background research for your company by verifying information about job candidates like their identity, criminal activity employment and educational history, professional licenses, and driving records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many services, <strong>how can you know which CRA is right for you and your employer? This article will focus on some tips to help get you started.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to look for in a CRA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to choose an agency that complies with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/enforcement\/statutes\/fair-credit-reporting-act\">Fair Credit Reporting Act<\/a> (FCRA).<a href=\"#_edn1\">[1]<\/a> Did you know the FCRA oversees how background checks must be conducted, including obtaining the candidate&#8217;s consent to perform the background check and allowing the candidate to review the results? <a href=\"#_edn2\">[2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Compliance here is crucial. Mistakes here can cost you more than a bad hire. <\/strong>Make sure whoever you choose they are FCRA compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check to see if the agency is accredited.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/thepbsa.org\/\">National Association of Professional Background Screener<\/a> (NAPBS)<a href=\"#_edn3\">[3]<\/a> allows CRAs participation in the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program. Agencies must obey strict guidelines to qualify. Think of the accreditation process as a background check for the CRA \u2014 the program reviews CRAs in several areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consumer protection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Legal compliance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Client education<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Researcher and data product standards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verification service standards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>General business practices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A CRA must repeat the&nbsp;review process every five years to stay accredited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confirm that the agency can provide the types of background screenings you need. Background check reports can include information ranging from simple identity verification to a comprehensive search covering:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>employment history<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>education verification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>criminal history<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sex offender records<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>driving history<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and other information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish that the CRA can provide accurate, complete reports. Ask to see a sample copy of a representative candidate results page. Is it straightforward and easy to read?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Determine how long it typically takes to get results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test how they handle customer support. Is the line always busy? Do they reply to an email in a timely way?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Determine how much it costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the crucial things to consider when choosing a CRA. Other things to consider include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Does the agency have an online portal to request background screenings and viewing reports?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does their service include authorization forms or electronic consent forms?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the agency allow for customizations?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about your needs. And start from a place of compliance. Is the CRA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>compliant with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/enforcement\/statutes\/fair-credit-reporting-act\">Fair Credit Reporting Act<\/a> (FCRA) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeoc.gov\/laws\/guidance\/background-checks-what-job-applicants-and-employees-should-know\">Equal Employment Opportunity Commission<\/a> (EEOC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>accredited by the <a href=\"https:\/\/thepbsa.org\/\">National Association of Professional Background Screeners<\/a> (NAPBS)<a href=\"#_edn4\">[4]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t put your employer at risk \u2014 choose an agency that is compliant, accredited, and has what you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Disclaimer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article shouldn\u2019t be construed as legal advice. If you have detailed questions, they should be addressed directly with your labor and employment attorney.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref1\">[1]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/\">https:\/\/www.consumer.ftc.gov\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref2\">[2]<\/a> How to Choose the Right Background Check Service &#8230;. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessnewsdaily.com\/7636-choosing-a-background-check-service.html\">https:\/\/www.businessnewsdaily.com\/7636-choosing-a-background-check-service.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref3\">[3]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/thepbsa.org\/\">https:\/\/thepbsa.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ednref4\">[4]<\/a> How to Choose the Right Background Check Service &#8230;. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessnewsdaily.com\/7636-choosing-a-background-check-service.html\">https:\/\/www.businessnewsdaily.com\/7636-choosing-a-background-check-service.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CRAs specialize in background research for your company by verifying information about job candidates like their identity, criminal activity employment and educational history, professional licenses, and driving records.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1446,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[4],"class_list":["post-253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-screening-de-empleados","tag-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1445,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions\/1445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/app.smartscreeningpr.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}