Employers: You need to screen your applicants with certified background checks

Not all background checks—or background check agencies—are made equal.

As companies grow, they need more qualified people to fill new & existing job roles. But how do you “qualify” an applicant? Any applicant can be screened through a background check, but not all background checks or background check agencies are made equal. If you’re the employer of a fast-growing company and need to fill new, existing, or evolving job roles, your applicants must be screened via a certified background check.

When we say “certified,” we’re referring to background checks performed by firms that are accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association, or PBSA. There are thousands of background check firms out there, but only a handful have attained this particular level of achievement.

PBSA accreditation is your best best for background check services.

When a firm is accredited by the PBSA, it means that they’ve passed a rigorous, on-site audit to assess, among other things, their service standards, training and client education materials, and general business procedures and policies. That’s why an accredited background check firm is your safest bet when choosing which employment screening agency you can trust with your business.

Choosing the right employee screening agency is, of course, more than just picking one that’s accredited by the PBSA. We recommend that you consider factors that apply to your industry or your business specifically. For example, depending on your company size and overall budget, it might make the most sense for you to research and partner with a local accredited background check agency that understands your employee base and community at-large.

Choose the right background checks for your applicants.

There are many different types of background checks that could apply to your applicant screening process, from resume checks and work verification to credit checks, drug screenings, and criminal background checks.

Often, it’s your particular industry or market vertical that sets the foundation for which background checks make the most sense for your applicants. For example, if you operate a retail business, it’s in your best interest to run criminal background checks on applicants. If you’re an employer in the financial industry, you’ll want to run a FINRA background check to confirm whether the information in your applicant’s U4 Form is accurate.

Understand the rules of background checks.

The employee screening firm you choose to work with will handle all of the legal specifics for you, such as monitoring changes in laws for all 50 states as well as changes to FCRA laws. Still, it’s a good idea for you as an employer to gain a clearer understanding of US employment laws and individual rights to privacy.

Set time aside to do thorough research that bolsters your background check knowledge base. That way, you’re prepared to make more informed decisions about your own hiring policies.

Consistency is key, so regularly screen your employees.

It’s imperative that you run pre-employment background checks on your applicants. It’s equally important that you continue running background checks post-hiring, because occasionally things are missed in pre-employment checks.

Screening your staff members in regular intervals helps mitigate risk, protects your business from liability claims, and assures every member of your team or teams that you’re active in maintaining the long-term safety of your workplace.

We’re a PBSA-accredited agency you can trust.

If you need more information about the different types of background checks or would like to speak to a PBSA-accredited employee screening firm, reach out to MYB today. We’re PBSA-accredited and we know how to properly vet your most vital positions.

Partner with us and get on the right road to protecting your business—and your future.