We’re here to help you out! Exactly what’s included in an employment background check is up to the employer. However, depending on industry and job position there are different things that an employer might want to include. Employment background checks can range from a simple verification of your social security number to more complex searches that include your work history, credit, driving records, criminal records, bankruptcy information, education history, and reference checks.

Let’s go over some of the things that are most commonly found in employment background checks and then show you additional add-ons that can be included.

1. Social Security Validation

This is almost guaranteed to be included in every employment background check. A social security validation is run to ensure that an applicant’s social security number is legitimate. This check will also help find all names, aliases, dates of birth, and address histories associated with that social security number. This may also help employers find locations that an applicant has lived under other aliases that can reveal criminal records that wouldn’t have been found otherwise.

2. Criminal Records Check

Criminal records checks are also very commonly included in employment background checks (including our National Baseline Search). These checks will search both national and county records for any criminal history. What does that mean? Any felonies or misdemeanors that are on your record will show up here.

However, just because you have a felony or misdemeanor doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be discounted from a potential job. In fact, ban-the-box laws are in place in many different states and counties to help prevent discrimination based on criminal history. This law prevents employers from asking an applicant about their criminal history before making a hiring decision.

Criminal record checks can be very important! Depending on the records found and job position, certain positions of trust and security can strongly benefit from knowing and discussing an applicant’s criminal history.

3. Address History & Identity Checks

Address history and identity checks are included in our National Baseline Search and generally performed to ensure that all of an applicant’s information is correct. These searches help find any addresses, DOBs, or birth/death indexes that match with the applicant. One important aspect of these checks is they help verify findings from other searches or uncover hidden aliases/addresses that an applicant may try to hide.

4. U.S. Terrorist Watch List & International Most Wanted List

Searches of these two lists are included in our National Baseline Search and most basic employment background checks. These searches help weed out candidates who could potentially be threatening to your organization and are especially important for security and high-profile positions.

5. Sex Offender Registry Search

A sex offender registry search will check both national and specific state’s live sex offender registries against an applicant’s information. This search is included in our National Baseline Search and very common in most employment background checks. A Sex Offender Registry Search is especially crucial for positions of trust or those that deal with young children. Running this search is pertinent for employers to protect themselves from negligent liability suits.

(This search is also crucial for volunteer screening! Sports, nonprofit, and religious groups should be performing screening as well to protect their organizations and volunteers.)

6. Employment & Education Verifications

Employment and education verifications aren’t always included in employment background checks, but are very useful to employers. These verifications often include a phone call to verify previous employment and education history is correct and/or searches of databases that house this information.

7. Social Media Check

This is a search that has becoming increasingly common to find on employment background checks. Social media checks go through a potential candidate’s social media accounts to look for any potential red flags. These red flags could include finding hate symbols or images of violence, frequent posts complaining about their current or past jobs, or images of themselves partying really hard.

The main idea behind social media checks is that it helps employers find details that are often missed in a traditional hiring process. Social media checks can help employers get a better understanding of an applicant’s true persona. Please make sure that your social media checks are being performed by screening professionals that can perform FCRA-certified and legally compliant searches.

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Have more questions about employment background checks? Or are you looking to start background screening soon? Please don’t hesitate to reach out, we’d be happy to help!

The post What’s Included In An Employment Background Check? appeared first on Blueline.

Essentially, personal or professional reference verification, and employment verification that stray beyond the realm of facts and into personal character assessments and opinions are considered Investigative Consumer Reports. They can be independent background checks, or they could be a part of a regular consumer report.

In California all consumer reports are considered ICRs, and California law (the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act ICRAA) must be followed in addition to federal law.

What are the compliance requirements for running an investigative consumer report?

An Investigative Consumer Report  requires a separate disclosure as to the nature and scope of the report as well as separate authorization. Technically, when an ICR is part of a regular consumer report, the disclosure with an explanation of the nature and scope of the investigative portion, must be obtained separately from the disclosure for the consumer report. There must also be a notice with the disclosure that a full and detailed disclosure of the nature and scope of the investigation can be obtained upon request.

Authorizations can be combined, but with the separate disclosure requirement it is easier to utilize a disclosure and authorization form for the consumer report and a separate one for the ICR. That way, if the ICR is obtained alone, you already have the required disclosure and authorization ready to go.

If obtaining potentially adverse information from interviews with neighbors, friends, or associates, the CRA performing the ICR must verify that the information provided has been verified, or that the person providing the information is the “best possible source of the information.” FCRA §606(d)(4)(B)

Additionally, §614 stipulates that any adverse information obtained through ICR personal interviews must be obtained within a 3 month period of the report being provided to the party requesting such background check, typically an employer.

Why would companies want to run these checks on potential employees?

Investigative Consumer Reports are commonly opinions of those with a personal relationship or a person who has immediate knowledge of the applicant. This information goes beyond a typical consumer report for a picture of your applicant in a more personal light that information obtained from a consumer report does not. For example, information obtained in a typical consumer report may include credit information, criminal history, factual past employment information, or driving records.

An ICR would ask about a person’s job performance, if it is a professional reference and the best source of the information, or how a person gets along with others in a work setting. This information cannot be gleaned from a consumer report, and if done correctly can give a potential employer more insight into an applicant’s character, work habits, and personal characteristics.

Are there risks associated with running an investigative consumer report?

There are risks involved in running any consumer report. As Investigative Consumer Reports require additional authorization and disclosure, compliance can be tricky when the employer doesn’t understand or want the hassle of following the additional requirements and simple mistakes can occur. Both negligent and willful violations of FCRA compliance can result in a substantial fine for each instance, if a lawsuit is brought against the employer or against the CRA providing the information to the employer.

How are the people chosen for the personal interviews?

Employment verification relies on information from records obtained, as often as possible, directly from the human resources department, payroll, or the owner/operator of the company. From there, if non-factual information is being requested (such as the opinion of the employer about the applicant) it is obtained from the owner/operator or a supervisor who would have direct knowledge of the applicant’s work experience.

Professional or personal references conducted by Blueline Services are conducted with the people provided by the applicant as references. Upon request some references are found by asking the provided reference if they know anybody who would be able to answer the same questions about the applicant (references from references).

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