--- title: Surprising Statistics about Employment Background Checks description: Employment background checks help employers evaluate candidate credibility and any potential risks. Consider these surprising statistics when hiring. image: https://blog.verifirst.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Surprising%20Statistics%20about%20Employment%20Background%20Checks.webp --- [Employment Background Screening](https://blog.verifirst.com/topic/employment-background-screening) [Hiring and Recruiting](https://blog.verifirst.com/topic/hiring-and-recruiting) # Surprising Statistics about Employment Background Checks [![Ryan Howard](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/29a1d4bf57e0e03d00a52ef501083a92)](https://blog.verifirst.com/author/ryan-howard) by [Ryan Howard](https://blog.verifirst.com/author/ryan-howard) 2 min read Mon, Jul 17, 2023 In today's competitive job market, businesses must make informed decisions about hiring and retaining employees. Employment background checks provide valuable insights into a candidate's past, helping employers evaluate their qualifications, credibility, and any potential risks. If your business is wondering if they should screen incoming or existing employees, consider these statistics.  ## Learn more surprising statistics about employment background checks. ### Criminal Background Checks are More Common than Not Among Employers The [Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA)](https://thepbsa.org/) reports that screening employees is "nearly universal" among U.S. employers. Further statistics include: - 95% of U.S. employers conduct employee background screening - 77% of U.S. employers have a documented background screening policy - Criminal background checks are the most common type of background check at 94% - 89% of employers rely on state/local resources for their criminal records than a [fingerprint database](https://blog.verifirst.com/should-fingerprinting-background-checks-be-used-in-hiring-decisions) - U.S. employers rely on drug testing, driving records, and sex offender registry information than non-U.S. employers #### The When and Why of Employee Background Checks We recommend background checks of new and existing employees to reduce the risk of negligent hiring and other workplace challenges. Most employers use this rationale to protect their brand and their staff. - 77% of employers conduct screening to protect employees and customers - 52% screen to improve the quality of new hires - 40% screen to protect their company's reputation Regarding the timing of screening during the hiring process, [our survey](https://blog.verifirst.com/survey-how-do-you-conduct-background-checks) revealed that it was common among employers to conduct employee screening after an interview or after extending an offer. Here are more current statistics: - 74% of U.S. employers conduct background checks after a conditional job offer - 16% screen after an interview but before a job offer - 3% screen applicants before the job interview - 67% of employers that do post-hire screening tend to run criminal checks on an ongoing basis See also: [What is the optimal time to run a background check?](https://blog.verifirst.com/awesome-interview-know-when-to-extend-the-job-offer-and-when-to-conduct-the-background-check) ##### Screening Partners are a Vital Part of the Hiring Process With so much value placed on employment background checks, 81% of employers surveyed said they will not be switching screening providers. When selecting screening partners, employers look for quality and accuracy (83%), speed (58%), and cost (54%). Have you found that these are the reasons you're satisfied (or not) with your employment background check provider? If you're considering if you need to screen new hires or current employees, we have decades of experience to answer your questions. [Connect with VeriFirst](https://www.verifirst.com/contact) to see if we can help. [![See How VeriFirst Performs Background Checks and Drug Screening](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/157703/a1a80ef1-a199-4570-a5d6-51ec0c0578e4.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/157703/a1a80ef1-a199-4570-a5d6-51ec0c0578e4)   2021 Statistics found at [Background Screening: Trends in the U.S. and Abroad](https://pubs.thepbsa.org/pub.cfm?id=FB36B937-C9D5-A941-7720-4047386F38B0) #### Share this [Share on X ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https://blog.verifirst.com/surprising-statistics-about-employment-background-checks&text=Surprising+Statistics+about+Employment+Background+Checks) [Share on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.verifirst.com/surprising-statistics-about-employment-background-checks&t=Surprising+Statistics+about+Employment+Background+Checks) [Share on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.verifirst.com/surprising-statistics-about-employment-background-checks&t=Surprising+Statistics+about+Employment+Background+Checks) Previous story [← See How Employment Background Checks are Done](https://blog.verifirst.com/see-how-employment-background-checks-are-done) Next story [Six Resources That Will Improve Your Background Check Process →](https://blog.verifirst.com/six-resources-that-will-improve-your-background-check-process) ### You May Also Like These Related Stories [Company Policies & Job Descriptions: Important to Applicant Screening](https://blog.verifirst.com/company-policies-and-job-descriptions-two-important-keys-to-applicant-screening) ![Company Policies and Job Descriptions](https://blog.verifirst.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Company%20Policies%20and%20Job%20Descriptions.png) [Employment Background Screening](https://blog.verifirst.com/topic/employment-background-screening) #### Company Policies & Job Descriptions: Important to Applicant Screening Fri, Jun 15, 2018 3 min read [Can Employers Run Background Checks on Remote Employees?](https://blog.verifirst.com/can-employers-run-background-checks-on-remote-employees) ![](https://blog.verifirst.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Background%20Checks%20on%20Remote%20Employees.jpg) [Human Resources](https://blog.verifirst.com/topic/human-resources) #### Can Employers Run Background Checks on Remote Employees? Fri, Aug 07, 2020 2 min read [Six Resources That Will Improve Your Background Check Process](https://blog.verifirst.com/six-resources-that-will-improve-your-background-check-process) ![Six Resources That Will Improve Your Background Check Process](https://blog.verifirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Six%20Resources%20That%20Will%20Improve%20Your%20Background%20Check%20Process.webp?width=800&height=400&name=Six%20Resources%20That%20Will%20Improve%20Your%20Background%20Check%20Process.webp) [Employment Background Screening](https://blog.verifirst.com/topic/employment-background-screening) #### Six Resources That Will Improve Your Background Check Process Fri, Jul 21, 2023 2 min read ### Get Email Notifications ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ryan Howard", "url" : "https://blog.verifirst.com/author/ryan-howard" }, "dateModified" : "2023-07-17T21:55:06.542Z", "datePublished" : "2023-07-17T21:55:06.000Z", "headline" : "Surprising Statistics about Employment Background Checks", "image" : [ "https://blog.verifirst.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Surprising%20Statistics%20about%20Employment%20Background%20Checks.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.verifirst.com/surprising-statistics-about-employment-background-checks", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.verifirst.com/hs-fs/hub/157703/file-1399347280.png" }, "name" : "VeriFirst" } } ```