Employer's Guide: Applicant background checks

An applicant background check may include criminal background checks, verifying work history, checking an applicants references and performing a drug test. There are many different types of background checks, so it’s important to work out which checks are right for your potential employees and your company. Why perform them? There are four primary reasons as to why employers ought to perform background checks: Federal and state requirements, protecting vulnerable parties, preventing negligent hiring, and protecting your company from future litigation. How perform them? Your best bet is to hire a professional pre-employment screening company to help perform applicant background checks, as there as many pitfalls that need to be avoided. Professional screening services will use educational institutions, government agencies, previous employers and criminal and civil courts to compile an applicant background check. They then provide employers with a thorough report on a potential hire. What do they reveal? Applicant background checks can include a variety of information about an individual, and what’s in a background check report would change depending on the check an employer was requesting and the industry their company was in. However, for the most part, an applicant check can incorporate the following:

• Financial records

• Driving records

• Employment history

• Education history

• Legal working status

• Criminal history