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Guidelines for Your Employee Background Checks

Background checks have become a necessary part of hiring new staff. These checks help determine if an employee will be safe and dependable for your company. However, there are certain guidelines to follow that will keep your company legal and ethical during a background check. Continue reading for a brief look at necessary guidelines when running background checks.

Comply with All Regulations

Each state has different laws regarding background checks and what is permissible information when deciding to hire or not hire an applicant. Check your state’s laws before checking criminal histories, credit information, or personal details. You must also comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA. This regulation is important to your company’s legal safety and the safety of your employees’ information and histories.

Choose Trustworthy Firms

There are thousands of background-checking firms, but they are not all equal. There are several firms that provide information that is often incomplete, outdated, or possibly incorrect. Research and get recommendations about trustworthy background-checking firms before making a final decision.

Use Caution with Web Searches

If you search an applicant’s name and information through an informal search engine or on social media platforms, then do so with caution. This type of search can lead to discrimination lawsuits and other legal action. Applicants who were not hired can say that you did not hire them based on misinformation or compromising information from years before. It is best to stay away from online searches of your own, but use caution if you do choose this route.

Obtain Applicant’s Permission

Part of the FCRA’s regulations require that you obtain an applicant’s or employee’s permission to run a background check. This is a crucial element to keeping your company’s background checks legal and free of lawsuits.

You can trust the team of Oschmann Employee Screening Services to legally and correctly find the information you require. We follow all federal regulations and rules, so you never have to worry about legal danger. Please call us at (800) 224-8532 and visit us online to find out all employee screening services we offer.

Should Your Company Have Background Screenings?

It’s important to know the type of people who work in your office or as part of your team, and background screening can be an efficient way of getting to know your applicants before you hire them. This means you can be more confident in the people you bring on board, keep accidents to a minimum, and make sure your business stays full steam ahead. Read on to see if your company should have background screenings.

Hire with Confidence

No matter how ingenious your product or service is, your team needs to be in top shape in order to deliver. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell how someone will perform before seeing them in action. However, background screenings can give you some idea as to what your potential new employee is like. Then you can decide if you think he or she will make a positive addition to the team and make a more confident decision during the hiring process.

Minimize Incidents

Some kinds of accidents are easy to deal with, but others can spell trouble for your company. Certain aspects of background screenings will allow you to make a more researched judgement call about a particular employee. For example, you might expect to deal with more accidents if you hire someone whose background check has revealed them as a drug addict.

Maximize Productivity

By doing your research and conducting background screenings, you can be sure that everyone you add to your team will bring something helpful to the table. This means you can maximize your productivity, which is eternally important in such a competitive age.

When it comes to background screenings, drug testing in Arizona is commonplace. If you think your company might benefit from this type of service, please feel free to call Oschmann Employee Screening Services at (800) 224-8532 or check out our website to see how we can help you.

A Look at Different Background Screenings

Background screening can provide valuable information about potential employees during the hiring process. Employers often make use of one or more screening options to ensure employees are not only honest and a good fit for their company, but also capable of performing important duties and maintaining a safe and positive workplace. Oschmann Employee Screening Services is pleased to offer assistance with employee background screening in Arizona to provide the information you need regarding candidates for any and all positions within your company.

Criminal Search

Criminal searches may be performed on the county, state, and federal level to determine whether an individual has ever been arrested or convicted of a crime. The type of search you select may be dependent upon your workplace or the type of information an individual may encounter in the desired position. County records typically contain information regarding misdemeanors and offenses, while federal records will include crimes such as embezzlement, weapons charges, and drug crimes.

Social Security Number Trace

Any time an applicant’s identity or honesty may be questioned, a Social Security number trace is a simple way to quickly confirm this information. This type of background check will reveal information such as past addresses, previous employers, and other names an individual may have used in the past.

Motor Vehicle Report

Employees that may use either their own vehicles or company vehicles for business purposes should be screened via a motor vehicle report. This report contains information on an individual’s driving record, which includes accident history and driver’s license information to confirm an up-to-date license and vehicle registration.

If you’d like to learn more about background screenings or drug and alcohol testing in Arizona, please contact Oschmann Employee Screening Services by phone today at (800) 224-8532. We are here to help you choose the best employees for your company and ensure your workplace remains productive, safe, and compliant with all state and federal regulations. You can also learn more about our drug and alcohol testing programs when you visit us on the web.

What the Law Allows For in Employee Background Checks

Hiring the wrong employees for your company can lower your team’s morale, hinder productivity, and even impact your customer relations. In fact, the cost of replacing an experienced worker who doesn’t work out can cost you 50 percent more of that individual’s salary. One way to ensure you make an informed hiring decision is by using background checks to screen for quality employees.

Reasons to conduct background check

A pre-employment background check will save you money in the long run and also help you protect your business. If your employees come into direct contact with customers and cause customer harm, then your business can be liable if the employee has a criminal record. Additionally, conducting a background check will provide insight into the person’s behavior, character and integrity.

Types of background checks

You can utilize a variety of background checks to build a potential employee’s profile. However, not every background check is available or appropriate for every company. Additionally, state law dictates how you can use the information gleaned from a background check in making hiring decisions. Checking an individual’s background always requires consent. Many states limit the use of credit checks to specific job functions that your applicant will be performing for you.  The most common background screening includes Federal and local criminal background checks, past employer references, educational and professional licensing verifications, Social Security number checks, and sex offender registry checks.

Initial background work

Before consulting with a professional agency, you should verify the employee’s resume by calling the university listed to check for a diploma or calling past employers. A quick web search can also help you round out the potential employee, as it will reveal his or her interests and achievements. Once you conduct this initial screening, you can outsource your screening services to a professional. A professional agency will help ensure you comply with state law when running background checks for your business needs.

At Oschmann Employee Screening Services, our goal is to minimize our clients’ risk through smart, streamlined business solutions. We will work with you to develop and implement professional and cost-effective programs that will help you meet your safety and business objectives. For more information about drug testing in Arizona, call (520) 745-1029.

Tips for Choosing an Employment Background Check Service

Prior to hiring any employee, it’s recommended to perform a thorough background check. This information will help you make the right decision when hiring employees with whom you work and must trust with your business’ profits and success every day. Oschmann Employee Screening Services is pleased to offer employee background screening services in Arizona, including motor vehicle reports, Social Security number tracing, and county, state, and federal criminal checks.

Range of Service

There are a number of background checks available, including motor vehicle records, criminal records, Social Security records, and worker’s compensation records. When selecting an employment background check service, you want to ensure you hire a company that provides the range of background check options you need. If your employees will be handling vehicles, for example, you’ll want to make sure you hire a background check service with experience obtaining motor vehicle records. The larger the range of services a company provides, the more likely they’ll be have the ability to meet your needs today and in the future.

Legal Compliance

When performing a background check on any employee or potential employee, it’s still essential that you respect and observe the individual’s rights at all times. Thus, you want to ensure your background check service similarly observes all laws and regulations regarding individual privacy and pursues avenues for obtaining background information via legal means. Make sure any service you hire has a clear policy for following legal requirements, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and can provide you with clear and accurate records outlining how and when background information was obtained.

At Oschmann Employee Screening Services, we can help you ensure customer safety and employee integrity with complete background screening options and drug testing services in Arizona. We invite you to stop by our website for more details about our services, or call (520) 745-1029; you can also reach us toll-free at (800) 224-8532.

What Goes Into a Pre-Employment Background Check?

When interviewing job candidates, employers must weed through exaggerated credentials and misrepresented information to avoid the legal threat of negligent hiring. One way for an employer to obtain information on a potential employee is by obtaining a pre-employment background check. This screening provides information on a candidate’s criminal history and helps verify information the candidate provides on a job application, such as his or her Social Security number.

Motor vehicle report

Obtaining a motor vehicle report helps an employer assess a job candidate’s driving records, including his or her commercial driving license status for up to seven years. This report also lists all traffic infractions, including charges for DUIs. Even if the job candidate has moved, pre-employment background checks can pull reports from all 50 states. This type of information is essential for employers looking to hire someone to drive a company vehicle or to drive a personal car for company use.

County-level criminal search

An employer can easily determine whether or not a job candidate has a criminal record by obtaining a county-level criminal search. These reports contain information on any felony, misdemeanor or offenses at the county court level. Usually, a background service company will pull county-level criminal reports from counties where the job applicant is most likely to have such information, such as current and former counties of residence.

Social Security number trace

The first step in verifying that a job applicant has provided accurate information is by running a Social Security number trace. This trace obtains a list of current addresses, previous addresses, as well as other names the applicant has used before. The trace also verifies the applicant’s Social Security number by providing the state and date range of issuance. As such, it is the first step in profiling a potential employee.

Since 1996, Oschmann Employee Screening Services has led the nation in developing, managing, and servicing Drug Free Workplace Programs. In addition to offering pre-employment background checks, we offer drug testing in Arizona. For more information, please call (520) 745-1029 or (800) 224-8532.