Hiring a qualified employee greatly reduces the hefty cost of turnovers. Don’t waste time and money on employee training, benefits and pay because you made a bad hiring decision. Ensure you hire good employees by performing thorough background screenings. Just remember 53% of job applicants provide inaccurate information on job applications and turnover can cost organizations anywhere from 16% to 213% of the lost employee’s salary.
Our county criminal records product is a 7 year felony and misdemeanor search at the county seat court. Although 7 years is the minimum time frame, we will routinely return information to clients as far back as applicable federal and state laws allow. Record contents typically include date of the offense and/or filing, description of the offense, disposition and case or file number. All counties nationwide are available.
This search comes directly from the state’s official criminal record repository. Information is compiled from the counties within that state. The repository typically includes felony and misdemeanor information from all or most counties; however, be aware that the repository information may be incomplete if a county fails to provide information to the state repository. In addition, pending and recent charges are routinely missing. Statewide searches are valuable as a supplement to our county criminal records search. Available in most states.
This is a database search for felony and misdemeanor crimes committed in numerous jurisdictions nationwide. Records are indexed from state repositories, state correctional facilities and some county records. The availability of records varies greatly from state to state. This is not a true nationwide search of all criminal records, but it is a good supplemental search to our county criminal records search. It can also help identify crimes that occurred in jurisdictions that are not revealed by an application, resume or SSN Trace.
This search comes directly from the state’s official criminal record repository. Information is compiled from the counties within that state. The repository typically includes felony and misdemeanor information from all or most counties; however, be aware that the repository information may be incomplete if a county fails to provide information to the state repository. In addition, pending and recent charges are routinely missing. Statewide searches are valuable as a supplement to our county criminal records search. Available in most states.
Federal civil searches include records that involve alleged violations of federal statutory or constitutional rights. Examples of federal civil cases include violations of civil rights, actions against the federal government, interstate commerce, anti-trust activity and violation of federal codes. Cases are searched at the appropriate district court for the past 7 years.
This search includes a national database search of registered sex offenders, as well as a direct search in all states of residence and employment. The registry search reveals individuals that are currently registered as sex offenders; the originating offense is not included, but would likely be revealed in a county criminal records search. Available in all states.
This product is a search of 134 domestic and international sanctions and exclusions lists, including the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. Our Homeland Security Search satisfies a key component of the Patriot Act.
Civil cases include disputes between private citizens, corporations, governmental bodies and other organizations. Types of cases may include employer-employee conflicts, property, personal rights, non-payment of goods, personal injuries, liability suits, or contract disputes. Records are searched on-site at the appropriate court; a seven year history of filings is returned.
This product will search a database of adverse actions against individuals in the healthcare industry. The search includes the OIG (LEIE), GSA (EPLS) and FDA exclusion lists, along with 800 other sources, including federal and state agencies. The Healthcare Sanctions search is crucial in revealing individuals and entities currently excluded from receiving payment from Medicare, Medicaid and all Federal health care programs.
The report will return the Excluded Individual’s name, date of birth, medical specialty and when and why they were sanctioned. Bases for exclusion include: convictions for program-related fraud and patient abuse, licensing board actions and default on Health Education Assistance Loans. Consultation with qualified legal counsel is recommended for all employment law matters.
A Social Security Number (SSN) Trace is an invaluable tool used to identify names and addresses that are historically associated with a given Social Security Number. Information is generally compiled from credit headers and other public and private information sources. It will also suggest previously used names or other aliases that should be researched.
This search will reveal when and where a SSN was issued, as well as alert clients to any particular problems, such as identifying SSNs that have never been issued, those that were issued to a deceased person, or SSNs that were issued before an applicant was born. The SSN Trace is a crucial component of criminal history research as the address history is the roadmap used to select court jurisdictions that should be researched for criminal records.
Clients who order a SSN Trace online can view the results instantly, allowing them to use that information for criminal history ordering purposes.
Our SSN Trace report will typically show:
Driving records are strongly recommended whenever you have an employee who drives on company time, whether in a company or personal vehicle. Most states include a minimum of 3 years history, although some go back further. Reports typically include the license status, history of moving and non-moving violations (including DUI/DWI) as well as accidents and license expiration date. Driving records are also useful for general verification purposes, such as confirmation of subject’s name, AKA or date of birth.
Instant results are available from almost every state. Records from Canada and some U.S. territories are also available.
Our DOT/FMCSA background checks will help you maintain compliance with applicable regulations concerning new hires. As part of a DOT background check, ICA Backgrounds will conduct a mandatory inquiry into an applicant’s drug and alcohol history with each employer, as well as run the required driving record, including a CDLIS search.
We can also conduct DOT regulated inquiries for other agencies, such as the FAA. Please contact our offices for a complete menu of available DOT services.
For those employers who need to review employee driving records on an annual or periodic basis, Compliance Background Screening Services (CBSS) offers the ability to submit numerous driving record requests simultaneously via our import module. This convenient solution greatly reduces data entry time. In addition, results are typically returned to you the same day and will include a single spreadsheet summary of each individual’s driving status and violation history, making the review of those records extremely efficient.
Employers may request Workers’ Compensation reports to determine if an applicant can perform the essential functions of a job with reasonable accommodations. Record contents vary from state to state, but will typically include date of injury, time lost, employer name, type of injury, body part and job related disability.
Please note that Worker’s Compensation information is considered to be health and disability related under the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). To be in compliance, this product is available only after tentative or permanent job offer has been made to the applicant. Once a job offer has been made, an employer may inquire about health or disability information if such inquiry is related to the specific job and performance requirements. This information should be asked for on a separate health and disability questionnaire. Previous Workers’ Compensation filings are NOT grounds to refuse employment to an applicant, but are used to determine the ability to perform essential job function.
Workers’ Compensation claims records are currently unavailable in the following states: Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Employers use credit reports for those situations where employees may have access to cash, equipment or other people’s property. In these situations, an employer’s knowledge of the applicant’s credit history may be prudent. The TransUnion employment credit report header consists of name, current address, previous addresses, SSN and may also include the following: phone, current employer, up to three previous employers and aliases. The credit file includes certain public records, such as bankruptcy records and tax liens, along with a credit summary regarding number of trades, past due or negative accounts and total indebtedness. You will also receive specific details on each individual trade. This credit report is designed for employment purposes, so it does not place an inquiry on the applicant’s report.
Clients who order employment credit reports online can view the results of the report instantly.
Consider these statistics: According to a 2003 Society of Human Resources Management study, 53% of all job applications contain inaccurate information. In that same year, the Wall Street Journal reported that 34% of all application forms contain outright lies about experience, education and ability to perform essential functions on the job. Verification of employment, education and licenses are crucial not only for determining dates, degrees and titles, but also to reveal whether your applicant has falsified information on their application or resume – behavior that is even more telling than the application data itself.
Many positions require an individual to have received specialized training, certification or a professional license. We can confirm the information an individual provides. Reports typically include license type, issuing authority and dates of validity. For certain license types, disciplinary history may also be included.
Most applicants are eager to supply college or continuing education information. This information may be misrepresented in order to receive more favorable consideration. Look for words like “attended” or “completed course work”, which implies possession of a degree when, in fact, this may not be the case.
Our default search product is the highest degree earned or last institution attended. However, we will gladly confirm all degrees earned and all institutions attended at a client’s request. High School Diploma verification is also available, as is GED completion. This verification includes dates of attendance, degree received and date of graduation. Academic transcripts, GPA, or grades are not typically available.
Due to the proliferation of diploma mills, ICA Backgrounds will also provide you with a school’s accreditation information at no extra charge for each U.S. post-secondary institution.
The verification of an applicant’s employment history can provide invaluable insight into the type of person you are considering hiring. In addition, it can help eliminate any unexplained gaps in employment. Basic employment verification typically includes dates of employment, job title, reason for leaving and eligibility for rehire. ICA Backgrounds will also inquire about salary history, punctuality and attendance, strong and weak points, performance and whether appropriate notice was given. Clients may also request additional questions as necessary.
Even though business reference checks are inexpensive, many business owners overlook this valuable tool for screening applicants. Reference checking can fill in the blanks a resume may have, plus give behind-the-scene insight into a candidate’s history and background. Why do employers side-step the all-important business reference check? For one thing, they may worry that asking questions of past employers is illegal. This is not true, as long as the information they provide is factual. Obtaining feedback about past work performance is not only legal, it is a crucial part of interviewing, as long as it’s done properly.
Hiring an individual without thoroughly checking into his or her background is a very risky practice. Don’t let your eagerness to fill a job vacancy push you to sidestep one of the most valuable tools in your hiring toolkit. A close review of the resume, a comprehensive interview and a thorough screening of references will allow you to hire the best person for your team.
Our ICA Backgrounds team will handle this vital step for you by personally contacting business references listed on an applicant’s application. Some of the information returned may include: company name and phone number, departure reason, rehire eligibility as well as performance and attendance record (if not prohibited by company policy.)
Like business references, personal references also play a vital role in the hiring of ‘good candidates’ process. Personal references can provide helpful insight into a person’s work ethic and character. Reports typically include information regarding how long and in what capacity the reference has known the individual, as well as questions about their reliability, trustworthiness, general impressions, strengths and weaknesses, ability to interact with others and whether the reference would recommend the person for hire.
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