4 things to look for when choosing your background check provider

Rae Roache

Ever wonder what your employment screening experience says about your company? Nearly half of US job candidates (48 percent) say the employment screening experience has an impact on how favorably they view a potential employer – and only 59 percent rate their last employment screening experience as “easy.” Do you see the opportunity we do? Yep, you got it: by easing this pain point, smart employers can dramatically stand out from the pack.

From criminal history to credit reports, finding a service that is timely, professional and comprehensive is essential. The right service helps ensure that your team gets the talent they need and that the best candidate can grab their dream job fast, before being tempted by another position.  

Leave it to the pros

As tempting as it may seem to save money and research yourself (small businesses, we’re looking at you) save the DIY attitude for landscaping your backyard, not conducting your own background checks. Sure, going it alone may save you money but your access to records will be severely limited which puts you at a risk for finding only partial information about your candidate. Even worse? You might get outdated or completely inaccurate information that could cause you to miss out on a great hire – or worse.

Keep it compliant

Did you know that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs how background checks are conducted? Did you know that many questions are off-limits to even ask? Compliance here is crucial and one misstep could cost you a lot more than a bad hire. No matter what company you use, make sure that they are FCRA compliant and, ideally, they are accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) as well.

You deserve form and function.

Before you decide on a provider, make sure to see a sample copy of a typical candidate results page. It should be easy to skim and pick out all the details you need. After all, what good is all that new information if you can’t organize or read it? You’ll also want to explore how they handle customer support. Is the line always busy? Do they use chat or email? If a password reset takes three days to fix, you’re obviously going to want to look somewhere else.

Time is of the essence

Both 20% of employers and 31% of candidates think that background checks take too long. Your dream candidate definitely isn’t sitting around waiting. In fact, 60 % of candidates continue communicating and interviewing with other companies as they await their background check results. So, choose an efficient, timely service or risk missing out on lots of top talent.

 

See how CareerBuilder’s employment screening services stack up to the competition.

 

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