Although this blog is devoted to discussing background checks and the news surrounding them, we’ve never really talked about why you should be using a background check company. But this can vary depending upon who “you” is. If you’re a company, for example, looking to do background checks on prospective employees, as well as current employees, partnering with a background check company eliminates the time your human resources department spends contacting references and digging up information on a candidate. The same goes for organizations, such as an apartment complex or a car dealership, that need to work with people who are in good credit and employment standing. An individual applying for a car loan many claim to have good credit, but only a background check will give you, the car dealer, full information.
Working with a background check company allows you to customize your preferences for looking into someone’s background. A basic background check, which is what all background check companies do for a minimal service, covers a person’s overall background, including basic information like names, residence, employment, criminal and driving records, and education history. In some cases, a credit check and report are included and should be added to your background check needs if you’re interviewing candidates for a financial position.
More advanced options are available, and a company like Data Check, whose services are included in the link above, can do more thorough background checks on a candidate. For example, criminal history beyond looking through records and police reports of various locations in which a candidate lived can be done by fingerprinting said candidate and comparing the prints to that of national criminals in nationwide crime databases. If you want all prospective candidates to go through a drug test, similar services are another option for employment screening with a background check company.