Legitimate background screening firms are required to follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This act defines guidelines on what can and can not be used in hiring practices. Industry sources (the groups that watch things like this) indicate that currently there are over 1800 firms that offer some type of background screening. However, not all 1800 firms are FCRA compliant or provide searches and services that can be used for employment purposes.
As a company you do need to exercise due diligence in making sure that the background screening firm you choose to partner with does meet all FCRA compliances for employment screening. If you already have a firm, talk to them. If you are trying to decide on a firm, again talk to them. That firm should not have any reluctance what so ever in speaking with you about the FCRA and how they follow the guidelines. If they choose not to talk to you about it, or evade you direct questions, you may want to keep looking.
Be leery of those websites out there that promise you instant access after you submit your credit card information. If you decide to go with a firm that does this, check out their website first. Do they have contact information for their company? Can you call a number and speak with a live person? If you get a real person, can they answer your questions about the FCRA and compliancy? If not, you might want to keep looking.
So, you think you have found a firm you want to work with. How do you know that they meet standards? Here are a couple of clues to watch for. Firms that are legitimate will require an agreement for service from you. They will require vetting, and they will work to confirm that you are legitimate user. This may take on the form of a site inspection or an attorney general search. They are not going to provide sensitive consumer information to you without being sure that you are a legitimate user and have a right to that information. They will also require that any job candidates you wish to screen have provided signed release documents to you. A background screening company that operates under the Fair Credit Reporting Act will not perform “secret squirrel” checks and does require that a job candidate be fully aware that a background check is being done.
As an employer, you have a responsibility to your employees. As a background screening agency, we have a responsibility to you to provide you with the most complete and up to date information available. Partnering with a reputable and knowledgeable screening company will get the job done.
