Background Checks & Employment Screening Services 

Smart organizations looking for the most complete picture of a candidate. 

A background check should be done during the hiring process. Generally, an organization will extend an offer of employment to a candidate contingent on the candidate passing a background check. 

The process of investigating an applicant’s background including criminal records, credit history, past employment and education verification, identity verification, driving records, and screening for drug use. 

To ensure that a candidate is qualified for the job and does not pose any kind of threat to the company, its employees, or its customers.

A background check during the hiring process can investigate many different aspects of a potential candidate’s past depending on what the employer is looking for. Checking an applicant’s background might include past employment history, education history, credit reports, criminal records, motor vehicle, and license records checks. Each of these services will return unique information specific to the search being done. 

Depending on whether the employer is hiring for a particular department or level of management a comprehensive background screening program would take into consideration questions such as: What is the level of risk? Is there a fiduciary responsibility in the job? Is there necessary training or education required? All of these considerations can help an organization decide which aspects of a candidate’s past are relevant and worthy of being looked into. 

A typical background check takes between 1 and 3 business days. The nature and scope of the research can play a large factor in turnaround time. There are extenuating circumstances that can delay a background check. The list below will help you understand what causes delays and how you can help: 

A delay may occur if AccuSourceHR has difficulty establishing contact with your former employers or educational institutions. In such cases, AccuSourceHR may ask you to supply a W-2 or additional information to help substantiate the information in your application or resume. Having this documentation handy and providing it quickly will help speed up the process. 

Delays may occur if courts are inundated with requests which can cause backlogs. 

If an employer is requiring drug testing, a Medical Review Officer may contact you regarding a sample’s results. 

International background searches might require additional information which can delay the process. International criminal searches and employment or education verifications will typically require more time to receive a response. 

The scope of a pre-employment background check can vary widely from employer to employer. Even the type of position sought and the employer’s industry can impact the breadth of the screening components contained in a specific screening request. The types of services or products contained in each background screening request has a significant bearing on the types of information required to facilitate research.  

In a standard criminal history background screen, most Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) begin with a social security trace (SST) or address locator search to identify any previous addresses or alias names associated with the applicant. The applicant’s social security number (SSN) is generally required to conduct this type of search. Additionally, applicants are asked to provide their full legal name, date of birth, and at least 7 years of address history. The address history (both developed by the SST and applicant-provided) aids in determining the courts searched for potential criminal records. Most criminal records are indexed by the defendant’s name and date of birth. Once a potential record match is located, additional information is sometimes required to confirm the record match. 

Employers often request additional services to meet their specific screening needs. These services commonly include verification of employment and education history, verification of professional licenses, personal and professional references, and driving records. Each type of search has its own set of search data required to ensure a quality result. No two employers are completely alike in their program needs and organizational requisites are ever-evolving.