VeriFirst now offers employers more flexibility when creating background check packages. The Package Builder can help HR teams match their company’s budget and tolerance for risk. As an added bonus, these packages help reduce the amount of wait time for background check results so that hiring managers can make decisions quicker.

American painter and PBS television host, Bob Ross, is quoted as saying, "there are no mistakes, only happy accidents." While that may be true on canvas, employers like Lowe's, Uber, Dish Network and Whole Foods weren't too happy when they were penalized for FCRA non-compliance. Nonetheless, we often don't learn an important lesson until we've done it the wrong way. 

Here are three common examples of the wrong way to do FCRA compliance in employment.

When the pressure is on to hire top talent and build great teams, hiring managers may often worry if they're up to the task. It's a big challenge to adapt to a candidate's market and meet the needs of the organization. There's also the fear of missing out (FOMO) on a candidate who may be a perfect fit - especially when considering the wait and cost of a background check. 

Here are some tips for managing those fears. 

Every individual has numerous points of data that can be accessed in a background check. When hiring a new employee, you might assume that you should just "run all the checks". You don't have to. You can save the wait time and the money buy only running the screens necessary for that particular job. 

If you're looking to protect your business, running an employment background check can help minimize the risk of negligent hiring claims and high turnover.  Let's look at a basic employment background check and determine which screens you should include when hiring. 

The birds are nesting and the allergies are in full swing. Welcome to Spring! If you're feeling inspired to clean out the garage, keep the energy going and consider doing some spring cleaning in your HR department. As is our focus, this post will mostly be related to hiring and screening employees. Benefits and other human resources functions could also be looked over or refreshed this time of year. 

Take this time to do some spring cleaning for your HR department! 🌻🌼

When an employer or landlord runs a credit check on a future tenant or employee, they expect accurate information. Consumers also want to know that the information is correct and up-to-date. Adverse information on a background check, especially a credit report, can affect employment, housing, buying a car or obtaining a loan.  It's imperative that the information be true, verified and safe.

When running a credit background check on an applicant, can you trust what you see?

Keeping individual, multi-family or student rental properties safe, clean and rentable is just as important as having the rent paid on time. Landlords who have not screened their tenants may be curious about background checks, especially if rent isn't being paid or if suspicious activity arises. Property owners who are looking for highly qualified individuals may also have questions about screening future tenants. There are lots of different ways to look into the past of tenants, including a "cheap internet search" but they could cause more trouble than they're worth. As a landlord or property owner, it's best to obtain background checks legally.

So is it legal for a landlord run a background check without permission?

To individuals and businesses alike, background checks can be a mystery. Where are consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) or background screening companies getting their information? How accurate is the data? Is there a reason to update a background check on an employee? Just how well do you know your employees? At VeriFirst, our mission is to be a trusted and transparent screening provider so let's dive into these questions.

How often are background checks updated and where is the information coming from?

According to a 2018 study by the Society for Human Resource Management, 73% of human resources professionals say their organizations run background checks. While this is good news for mitigating risk to businesses,  that means that 27% of companies aren't screening before hiring.

While some employers may tout cost as a reason for skipping background checks, the cost of a bad hire can be even more expensive. Other organizations may hesitate due to the challenge and effort involved in finding a quality screening partner that can also help with compliance. VeriFirst can help offer easy background checks for employers, while being cost effective and compliant.

Employers have discovered that it's more important than ever to run background checks. Unfortunately, businesses of all sizes are still foregoing employment screening due to cost. Considering the cost of non-compliance lawsuits or negligent hiring claims, employers would be wise to investigate why their background screening costs are so expensive. Working with a trusted, professional background check partner can be helpful to saving time and money.

Here's how background check packages help reduce costs and increase compliance for HR.