Criminal Background Checks
Why Screen Job Applicants?
The officers had a warrant, and came to arrest the newest
addition to the bank staff. A retailer in another state hired a store
manager. When inventory started to disappear, it became clear: The
“shrinkage” was due to an internal source.
Many of these incidents can be avoided
These two incidents, and many more like them, occur more often than
you might think. Employers that don’t conduct routine background checks on
potential hires may find themselves facing employee problems, ranging from
high absenteeism to embezzlement. And none of us wants our customers and
staff to witness the arrest of an employee in the workplace.
You may be liable for your employee, even after
work hours
Scary as it may seem, employers may be sued and found liable if they
hire someone who causes harm or damage, and that person had a past history
that should have raised a red flag (see section entitled Negligent Hiring).
Take measures to protect your company
No doubt about it – one bad hire can cause enormous damage. Take
steps right now to find out how you can avoid similar problems in your
company.
How to Assess the Quality of a Criminal Search
What are you looking for in a criminal check? You expect information
quickly, right? And, obviously you need a thorough check…going back as far
as possible, and including everything up to the present day. Because the
bottom line is important, you want to keep the cost down. So, isn’t there a
national database that provides this information?
Many Approaches, But Which One is Best?
For employment purposes, there are many ways to obtain information.
However, following best practices in the industry, Information Resources
provides county-by-county searches where the individual lived – and worked.
A national database, which provides all convictions in all states, does not
exist. For the most part, even statewide checks have very limited
information, because they use sources such as the department of corrections.
Don’t be misled by criminal search methods that seem more comprehensive.
Remember, the information may be six months old, it may report felonies but
not misdemeanors, may report only certain classifications of crimes (and not
others), or may include information from some counties and not others.
Choosing methods other than the county-by-county approach may result in
missed criminal cases. Information Resources offers a depth of service that
is unsurpassed in the industry.
Contact us today and take the mystery out of conducting valid and reliable
criminal record searches.
How to request Criminal Record Searches (for
employment purposes only)
First, become a client Collect and submit the following applicant
information, much of which can be found on most employment applications:
Full name, social security number, date of birth, and location of cities or
counties where candidate has resided (past seven years). Obtain a signature
authorization (release form) and submit along with applicant information.
Allow 2-3 business days for the results.
What Information Does a County-by-County Criminal Search Provide?
Your written report provides information for (typically) the last seven
years, on open
and closed felony and misdemeanor cases, including:
Charges Dates Fines and Court Costs Probation Warrants
Which Counties Are Searched?
Option 1
Your company may choose to select each city + state in which to
conduct criminal record searches by listing them on an electronic request
form or a fax request form.
Option 2
Provide the applicant’s employment application, and ask Information
Resources staff to extract counties to be searched. All counties where the
applicant lived and worked, going back seven years, will be included, based
upon information provided by your applicant.