This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Security Business magazine. Don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter if you share it.
From fake sign language interpreters to a Secret Service staffing crisis that led people to question whether the agents protecting former President Donald Trump were sufficiently qualified, recent years have shown the need for better background checks and vetting of employees.
Although one would like to think that government agencies have extensive safeguards in place, the hiring process is by no means foolproof. For security integrators and consultants, background checks play an obviously vital role, as many employees are placed in a position of high trust for customers.
A 2022 study by ResumeLab (https://resumelab.com/resume/lying), a company specializing in resume creation tools, found that 36% of the 1,000 Americans surveyed admitted to lying on their resumes, while a massive 56% of them admitted to “stretching the truth” – highlighting how difficult it can be to trust a candidate’s application at face value.
Although the interview process can provide some deeper insight, candidates will be deliberate with what information they discuss to create the most favorable impression of themselves possible.
It is important to remember that recruiting, hiring, and training new employees is expensive. It has been reported that bringing a new employee into an organization can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000, so employers undoubtedly want to make sure they are making the right decision the first time. If a business hires someone only to discover something that wasn’t revealed during the interview process, the losses it takes to replace them could be significant; and for a security business, the liability that comes with it can present even more risk.
Thankfully, employers can use background checks to find out information that would not be contained on a resume or discovered through an interview. In ideal circumstances, a background check confirms the information one already knows about an applicant; however, if an applicant has lied or omitted information during the application process, the check can alert the employer to the discrepancy to prompt further investigation.
What a Typical Background Check Looks For
Although one might think that a background check is a rather drastic measure, it is a precaution that will only help the employer in the long run. The most common form of background check individuals may be familiar with is an employment background check. During the hiring process, a company may conduct a background check to ensure that a candidate does not have a criminal background that could create a danger in the workplace or is being truthful about their employment history. With the help of background checks, businesses can verify a wealth of information about prospective candidates:
Identity: Background checks can help verify a person's identity. Checking against records like social security numbers and fingerprint databases ensures that a person is actually who they say they are and has no malicious intentions.
Credit: Depending on who conducts a background check, it may include a detailed or abbreviated credit history report. Credit history is a crucial determinant of whether a lender will approve a loan to someone, while employers can check a prospective employee’s credit history to gauge how responsible they might be.
Criminal history: Background check providers will compare a person against several criminal databases on a state, national, and international level to ensure any relevant criminal charges in an applicant’s past are brought to light. Knowing this information is especially important for employers, especially for jobs in the security industry.
Employment, academic, and licensure verification: Background checks can also verify essential qualifications such as employment history, academic credentials, and licenses. Since these qualifications are often legally required for jobs, verifying them with a background check ensures that new hires meet all legal requirements.
Working with a Third-Party Provider
Background checks are not necessarily easy for an individual, and it is not always practical for an organization to conduct them in-house. This is why many businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions outsource their background check needs to a third-party provider. By working with a provider, employers can receive benefits beyond what they would even receive from completing the background check themselves.
Since background check providers typically employ investigators with many years of experience, employers can rest assured that the results they provide are fair and accurate. While an untrained individual can overlook or misread the results of a background check, a trained provider will ensure that all results are high-quality.
Legal compliance is another key consideration when it comes to background checks. The U.S. has specific laws and regulations that determine how a background check can be conducted, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Background check technology providers will work with clients to ensure that all paperwork complies with the FCRA and any other relevant legislation to protect the company in the future.
By partnering with a background check provider specializing in advanced technology, businesses will also benefit from seamless integration into existing HR systems and platforms. Manual workflows can be reduced – if not entirely eliminated – as background check systems can pull information directly from candidates’ applications rather than require hiring managers to input the information themselves.
Another significant benefit of partnering with a background check provider that uses advanced technology is that it allows for more efficient turnaround times. Conducting background checks can be a time-consuming, costly process for a single person – especially someone who’s just on a hiring team and doesn’t have an extensive background in investigations.
While AI background checks are not yet standard, several background check providers have taken the step of incorporating artificial intelligence, algorithms, and machine learning into their background check services to streamline the process and deliver results in a fraction of the time it would take to conduct the checks manually.
Partnering with an experienced background check provider will help security businesses know they have made the right hiring decisions. From verifying employment and academic background to checking criminal and credit history, background checks let employers know that the people they interview and hire are who they say they are, making this an integral step in the hiring process.
