Employment Background Checks

Employment background checks are used by employers to confirm the information provided by job applicants about their work history. Employment Background Checks are an extensive review of a potential hire which may include,

• Nationwide Criminal Records provide insight into a person’s criminal past from Federal, State, County, and Municipalities, located within their courthouses and police departments.
• Employment Verifications provide a more personal insight into an applicants’ employment history.
• E-Verify compares information entered by an employer to records available from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to confirm employment eligibility.
• Driving Records provide valuable insight into an individual’s driving history and are obtained directly from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), within all 50 states. Many employers require a satisfactory Motor Vehicle Record before gaining access to company vehicles or mileage reimbursement.
• SSN Verifications confirm the validity of the Social Security Number provided by the applicant from the Social Security Administration.
• Civil Records identify court filings by individuals or corporations. Such as, Lawsuits, Bankruptcies, Liens, and Judgments,
• Credit Reports may include a record of a borrower’s FICO score and credit history from several sources, including banks, credit card companies, collection agencies, and governments. For example, it may include such things as the number of current accounts and balances, negative account listings, not enough debt experience, too many accounts or if there were too many recent credit checks.

An employment background check typically involves the following steps:

1. The employer obtains the applicant’s consent to conduct the check.
2. The employer gathers the applicant’s employment history information, such as the names and contact information of previous employers.
3. The employer reviews the results of the check and makes a decision about whether to hire the applicant.

Employment background checks are an important part of the pre-employment screening process. They can help employers identify potential risks and make informed hiring decisions.

Here are some of the benefits of conducting employment background checks:

• They can help to protect employers from hiring unqualified or dishonest employees.
• They can help to reduce the risk of workplace violence.
• They can help to protect the company’s reputation.
• They can help to ensure that the company is in compliance with legal requirements.

However, it is important to note that employment background checks are not foolproof. For instance, there is always the possibility that an applicant will provide false information about their work history. Additionally, some states have laws that restrict the amount of information that employers can obtain about applicants’ past employment.

Overall, employment background checks are an important part of the pre-employment screening process. However, it is important to use them with other screening methods, such as employment verifications, interviews and reference checks to make the best hiring decisions.

Employment Verifications

Employment Verifications can reflect an applicant’s work experience whether good or bad. Naturally, this would be based on personal feedback directly from either a current or previous employer. The applicant’s previous employer is contacted to verify the information provided by the applicant.

Some common questions which may be asked for employment verifications are:

• What is the Applicant’s current work status? Are they still working for you?
• What date(s) was the Applicant employed by you?
• What is / was the Applicant’s job title?
• What is / was the Applicant’s salary?
• Can you verify the applicant is / was a responsible person?
• Can you confirm whether employment with the Applicant is / was in good standing?
• Could you provide Insight on whether the Applicant caused problems with supervisors or co-workers?
• Would you rehire this employee?
• What are / were the Applicants work responsibilities?
• What was the reason for termination?
• How is / was the applicant’s work performance? Their strengths?

In some cases, employers may use a third-party background check company like AmeriCheckUSA, for example, to conduct employment background checks and employment verifications, allowing employers the opportunity to hire the most qualified people and to avoid hiring someone who may pose a risk to their organization.