A Step-by-Step Guide to Verify Someone's Background Information

Employing an appropriate candidate or selecting a reliable tenant will be essential to both businesses and property owners, making the difference between success and failure for many organizations today.

That’s why many companies use professional background screening services to reduce risk and make good choices. A defined process gives you confidence, accuracy and compliance in verifying someone’s background information to ensure your employment decision is correct.

In this article, we will explore:

●     Why background verification is important

●     The key steps involved in the screening process

●     What information should be verified?

●     Common mistakes businesses should avoid

●     How professional screening services simplify the process.

Why is Background Verification Important?

If you are considering hiring an employee or contractor or taking on a tenant, it is important that you verify their information to reduce the likelihood of exposing your business to potential risk. The background screening process can help reveal inconsistencies and fraudulent statements, as well as information about their criminal history that may affect either the safety of those working in a given work environment or your company's reputation.

To reduce the time it takes to do a proper background check, many organizations have gone to professional background screening services to meet their background screening needs with greater efficiency than they could otherwise; this allows the organizations to hire people more efficiently while complying with regulatory requirements.

Step 1: Collect Basic Information

The first part of verifying a person's background is to collect accurate personal information. Some examples of this include:

●     Full name

●     Date of birth

●     Current and previous addresses

●     SSN or ID information

●     Employment history

●     Educational background

By obtaining accurate information from the beginning, you will reduce the amount of time taken to get a report back and improve the quality of the report you receive.

Step 2: Get Consent

Before you conduct a background check, you must always get written permission from that person. Many places, including the US, require compliance by employers with laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

By using a professional background screening vendor, you will be able to comply with these laws and avoid potential compliance issues.

Part 3: Authorize Prior Work Experience

A key part of validating someone’s history is the vetting process for verifying proper employment history & performing a background investigation. Employers may check: job title, employment dates, duties & responsibilities (often dictated by the employee), and reasons for separation. All to ensure that the experience stated on the applicant’s resume accurately matches their background knowledge and suitability for the position.

Part 4: Verify Academic Credentials

Verification will establish whether an applicant has obtained an educational degree, certificate, or has attended an institution. In fact, many applicants commonly embellish their achievements in their resumes.

Companies that utilize professional background verification processes can be sure that all qualifications they require for the open position are confirmed via a verified review.

Part 5: Verify Criminal Records

Criminal record checks are required for most employers when employing individuals for financial, health care, school, and security roles/industries. Employers can perform a criminal check by searching for records in the following locales: county criminal record searches, state (or multi-state) criminal databases, federal criminal databases, and sex offender registries.

Employers often rely on professional background check companies because they can access large numbers of verified databases quickly and generate an accurate report of a criminal records check.

Part 6: Conduct Criminal Record Searches

For available financial positions, many employers will also look at your credit report as a measure of credit and financial responsibility. Employers can obtain this credit information from multiple sources and the decision will depend on how closely the employer’s job function relates to any kind of credit history (legitimate credit checks) to determine whether they’ll ask for a detailed history in their hiring process.

Step 7: Examine Findings Closely

After gathering records and data about candidates, the last step is to review all findings and ensure thoroughness in each report. Employers will want to identify any inconsistencies, as well as any items that were not included in their records or that may be potentially concerning.

By taking the time to carefully investigate a person's background before hiring them, employers can minimize the potential for hiring risks, thereby improving workplace safety.

Conclusion

Conducting a background check is very important for businesses, employees and customers alike. All types of background checks, such as employment history and criminal records, help create a more thorough way to hire individuals and to operate your business in a safe manner.

If your company chooses to use a professional background screening service, it can simplify its hiring process, reduce risk to the company, and stay compliant throughout the process. If a company needs to verify someone's background information accurately and quickly, having a trusted source like Fidelity Background Check to provide them with such solutions can help them make more informed decisions.