Most companies conduct background checks on job applicants before extending an offer of employment. A background check can help an employer uncover vital information, such as a criminal record, that can influence a decision on whether or not to hire an individual.
In order to locate criminal records, it may be necessary to search several state and county databases. The company conducting the background check needs to know where the applicant has lived in the past and currently resides in order to know which jurisdictions to search.
Why an Applicant’s Current Address Is Vital
It is important to have a job applicant’s current address available when conducting a background check. Companies that provide services for individuals report addresses voluntarily, but they may not have done so, or the information may be inaccurate.
Recent criminal activity is one of the most important things employers look for when conducting background checks. Recent criminal activity may be a predictor of future criminal behavior, so employers take it seriously.
The Importance of Checking Past Addresses
A thorough background check should also verify an applicant’s addresses for the past several years. This information can be obtained by requesting it on the job application or background check form and can be verified by checking it against change of address requests filed with the post office, a credit report, and other sources.
Conducting an address search can verify the information that the job applicant provided on the application or background check form and may turn up other addresses that were not reported. Those areas can then be checked for criminal records.
An address verification search may also turn up other names a job applicant used in the past. An applicant who has used another name may have criminal records in one or more jurisdictions under that name. If the background check company is not aware of all of the names the person has used, some criminal records could be missed.
DataCheck Can Help with Pre-Employment Background Checks
DataCheck can help your business conduct thorough background checks on job applicants so you can make an informed hiring decision. We will verify a job applicant’s current and previous addresses and check all relevant jurisdictions for criminal records. To learn more or to request a background check, contact DataCheck today.