When do I need to run a background check?
- Originally Published: September 29, 2022
- Last Updated: August 22, 2024
Are you a new business owner or new to the hiring process? Here’s a quick overview of when and why to run a background check on new and existing employees.
Table of Contents
Safeguard your business, employees & customers
Running a successful business involves a fair amount of risk management, and that risk anticipation extends to the process of hiring new employees. Background checks are an effective tool to manage risk and vet prospective candidates ahead of bringing them into your organization.
So when do you need to run a background check? Most industries and independent businesses do not legally require background checks. The better question may be: “When should I run a background check to safeguard my business and the products or services we provide?”
Start with the background check basics
We always recommend our clients to pull a nationwide criminal database search, sex offender registry search, county criminal search and social security number trace with address history. This is our Standard Package and it ensures you are compliant with the FCRA on information used in hiring decisions, and gives you a general understanding of the candidate’s criminal history.
Consider roles and responsibilities
While the Standard Package above may be sufficient for many roles, your industry or the type of position you’re looking to fill may call for different kinds of background checks.
- If your employee will be driving a company vehicle, you’d likely benefit from a driving history review to reduce risk of financial liability in the case of an accident.
- In-home services or caregivers to vulnerable populations (like childern & the elderly) typically screen applicants for county, state, and national criminal records, sex offender registries or any areas that may pose a threat to their clients or the company.
- If you’re hiring someone for a specialized role, it could help to pull both education and employment verifications to cross check their qualifications and experience.
There are many scenarios and industries to consider and our team is available to help build the package that is right for your needs. It’s important to consult your legal counsel in these decisions as well.
Pull only what you need: more isn’t always better
The hiring process can be challenging enough, and you wouldn’t want to limit your talent pool with irrelevant screening information. For example: you probably do not need to disqualify a candidate for a driving infraction if they won’t be driving a company vehicle. Keeping your search packages concise and relevant to the role will maximize your talent pool and minimize your costs. Many of our clients have different packages created based on the varied positions they’re looking to fill – and we can help you build yours too (at no additional cost).
If you’re unsure about the kind of background check you should run or which packages are most appropriate, our team is happy to advise you.
Assess the need for ongoing screening
Ongoing or annual background checks can be a prudent way to manage future risks for your business and your customers. This can be especially important for particular roles or industries, like running annual driving history checks for drivers, drug tests for machinery operators or sex offender registry checks for those working with vulnerable populations. We can build, schedule and process bulk orders to make this a painless process.
Get legal guidance
We aren’t qualified to give legal advice, so we encourage you to chat with your employment law attorney to discuss your business’s unique risks to ensure you select background check packages that align to your needs. From there, you just need a trustworthy background check partner. Here are Perfect Fit we specialize in working with small and medium sized businesses and nonprofits to deliver affordable prices and a high touch customer service experience.
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About the Author
Travis Reiter
Owner-Operator, Perfect Fit Background Checks
Travis has co-owned Perfect Fit Background Checks with his wife Rachael since 2021. With a passion for helping small businesses, Travis specializes in providing affordable background check services with unrivaled service. When he’s not helping customers, Travis is actively volunteering around Austin, Texas, exploring new destinations, or enjoying board games with friends.
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