Background Screening: Trends and Uses in Today’s Global Economy

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RESEARCH:

Background Screening Is Prevalent

Most organizations report conducting at least one type of background screening, and 73% state they have a documented policy for background screening procedures. Though many organizations conduct these checks, costs and the length of time to get the results continue to be top challenges.

How Good Are Today's Leaders?

Employers are screening more types of employees more often. This includes more information in background checks and placing an increased value on international screening capabilities. Ninety percent of employers now say they screen all full-time employees, compared to 86% in 2019. This year's survey also saw considerable increases in the number of organizations that screen other types of individuals, including part-time employees, contingent/temporary workers, volunteers and vendor representatives. This could indicate that employers increasingly realize the importance and accessibility of background screening and are applying it accordingly. It could also mean that organizations are now hiring a larger number of individuals who are not traditional full-time employees, as would benefit the "Gig Economy" moniker applied to U.S. workforce trends in recent years.

What Technologies Are Used for Executive Education?

Employers value both accuracy and efficiency. Both are dependent on access to personal identifiers such as complete name and complete date of birth. Redactions of these identifiers by federal, state and local court systems can lead to delays in hiring and is an unfortunate reality in many courts. This is particularly true in the federal court data system, known as Public Access to Court Electronic Records, which systematically excludes dates of birth. This can lead to applicants losing out on a job while employers confirm identifiers. PBSA and the Consumer Data Industry Association recently released the Public Access Software Specification for Court Records guidelines to encourage and help court administrators implement software that improves the quality of public records, thus improving the timeliness and accuracy of background checks.