We’ve done the legwork for you and have gathered the best background check services of 2024. In today’s ever-increasing global workforce, background checks are becoming more important and necessary to the hiring and recruiting process. Great online tools are not just limited to employee management or recruitment assessment tools, and quality and effective employee management can start from the most simple background assessment.
Background check sites range from the simple background check to the very detailed information reporting that includes social media and contact information. Your business and its employees deserve to be protected and have a solid shot at success, which can best come from hiring trustworthy and suitable employees.
Be sure to do your research and make sure your background check service company is compliant with all necessary regulations.
What is Background Check?
A background check in employment is an employer’s process to confirm if a job applicant is what they claim to be. This process helps employers sort out individuals who may pose a threat or become a liability to an organization.
Background checks usually occur during recruitment processes, but employers can conduct them any time they please, even after hiring. Employers can perform this procedure with or without the job applicant’s consent, depending on the kind of check that needs to be done. The requirements needed will be a candidate’s full name, social security number, physical address, driving history, and date of birth to effectively carry out the procedure.
Best 14 Background Check Service for Employers for 2024
Now that you understand what a background check is, you need the best tool to ensure effective performance. There are a gazillion employment background check companies, and choosing one is not a walk in the park.
For this reason, we have gathered the best of the best from our research, and all you need to do is identify a suitable one for your company’s needs. Take a look below.
CERTN
CERTN offers cutting-edge background check software. Their platform efficiently conducts comprehensive pre-employment screenings, tenant checks, and more, ensuring trust and security in hiring and renting processes. With user-friendly interfaces and advanced technology, CERTN simplifies the vetting process for businesses and landlords, promoting confident decision-making.
AmeriWide Screeners
AmeriWide Screeners is a background screening company that partners with businesses to conduct pre-employment background checks. They offer a range of screening options, including criminal history checks, education verification, and drug testing. AmeriWide Screeners also provides a secure online platform for employers to manage the screening process.
Checkr
Chekr is a well-established industry player and has over 10,000 businesses using its background check services. Checkr is mobile friendly and possesses an intuitive design, even using color coding to make sure reports are easy to use and understand.
GoodHire
GoodHire is a reasonable alternative providing quality background checks in a manner that will still foster trustworthiness and fairness. GoodHire provides the fastest response times using data science and compliance filters for a .03% dispute rate.
SeekVerify
If your in search of peace of mind for your business, then SeekVerify is a great option for in-depth reports, even guaranteeing you’ll find whatever piece of information you’re searching for. SeekVerify can also auto-generate a downloadable report that you can file and easily return to for your reference.
US Search
US Search has earned a reputation, one search at a time through millions of searches over more than 15 years because they understand that a people search is a tool to get information. From public to national to state records, US search is your partner in gathering valuable information.
Accurate Now
Perhaps the most exciting feature about Accurate Now is the pay-as-you-go plan, offering your business flexibility and the ability to save on costs. This background check service company is also compliant to FCRA, state, and local regulation experts.
eKnowID
Real background check reports by real investigators. eknowID is comprised of licensed investigator conducting high tech high touch background checks. From instant online checks to in-depth background investigative solutions, eKnowID helps businesses remove the guesswork out of choosing the right talent to successfully grow their team.
Veremark
Fast, accurate, secure, scalable. Veremark has pioneered an entirely digital, cost-effective global solution that improves quality of hire while providing a superior candidate experience. Our ground-breaking approach to background checking and screening ensures accuracy and efficiency at every step, while acknowledging the challenges and risks present in all industries and sectors across the current global employment environment.
C3 Intelligence
C3 Intelligence promises your business will not be subject to liability situations and lower employee fraud. Candidates’ background are verified by C3 Intelligence and are FCRA compliant. Unlike other providers of background check tools, C3 does not force maintenance fees and costly monthly minimums.
EBI
EBI (employee background investigations) differs from the other platforms mentioned up until this point as EBI provides (in addition to background checks) drug testing, occupational health screening, and electronic form I-9. EBI also boasts pre-built ATS integrations, making this a wonderful easy-to-use tool for any human resources team.
SpringVerify
SpringVerify is a modern take on the age-old problem of background verification being costly, tedious, and out of small businesses’ reach. The platform offers seamless background verification with minimal effort required from both the company and the employee. Make informed hiring decisions with industry-leading turnaround times.
First Point
FIrst Point offers innovative solutions to information and operation services. FirstPoint has friendly representatives (humans, and not computers/chat bots) available to assist your hiring team with any questions. First Point’s objective is to not just provide information, but to authenticate that information and to help you choose the information that’s right for your needs.
Global Backgrounds
What makes Global Backgrounds different is the ability to provide both local and international background checks and information. Global Backgrounds’ excellent record of due diligence services can also be leveraged as a vital and necessary part of any internal operations risk management system.
What do employers look for during background checks?
Background check service for your business is usually not a straightforward procedure. While some employers decide to conduct it themselves, others will seek the services of a professional background check company. The process consists of verifying job applicant’s educational background, work experience, medical history, criminal records, drug testing, and more.
Employers usually want to be sure that the candidate they are about to hire is honest and can be trusted. For this reason, they look up to background checks for accuracy. Background checks assure employers of the quality of candidates they are hiring. They expect that such candidates will stay with them for an extended period hence improve organizational performance.
Why Use a Background Check Service?
When resumes start steaming in, employers assume that the information included in those resumes is inaccurate even when they are. For this reason, they want to take precautionary measures that guarantee their safety and that of their businesses when hiring. The use of background information check services has proven beneficial, and many job applicants do not qualify because of it.
Background checks are usually the last step in the hiring process. It benefits you in several ways, including:
- Work competency: Not every job applicant will be honest with the information in their resume, and as an employer, you should expect this to happen. The only way to be sure that the job applicant is competent enough to perform the available task is through an employee background check.
- Employees’ safety: Once you hire an employee, you are responsible for their safety during the times that they are within the workplace. For this reason, it is essential that you conduct an employment check on a candidate to protect other workers. If you fail to do so and the candidate ends up harming others in the long run, you may face neglect claims, which will affect your business performance.
- Business safety: While you protect your workers from harm, you need to also consider the security of your business. Background checks help you find honest and trusted workers who will not snitch on you to your competitors. Also, remember there is workplace theft, and most of them are usually inside jobs.
- High employee retention: With background checks, you have a high chance of finding honest, trustworthy, and loyal workers. The workers will also possess the requisite skills to perform the available tasks. In the long run, you will witness higher employee retention, leading to improved engagement and productivity.
Types of Background Checks
Before a job applicant is offered a job, background checks are conducted. Some checks will require the applicant’s consent while others do not, and employers can proceed with the checks at their own free will. Below are the different types of background checks that are usually carried out in most organizations.
- Educational background check: Employers or background screening companies follow up on your education history and contact your former school to verify that you were once part of it. Most universities have online services that make it easier for employers to verify the educational information in a candidate’s resume, including the year of study.
- Employment history check: Most job applicants lie about their work history, and confirming this element will eliminate any doubts. You will contact a candidate’s former employer to verify their position and the duties performed. It is also essential that you know how valuable a candidate was to understand the kind of value they are bringing to your organization.
- Criminal history: There are jobs such as childcare that will require you to conduct a criminal check on a job applicant. You do not want to hire an individual who poses a threat to your business but rather someone that helps it achieve its objectives.
- Work eligibility: Most states allow employers to ask job applicants for documents proving that they are US citizens or are eligible to work in the region.
- Driving history: If a vacant job requires a job applicant to have driving skills, the employer will have to confirm their driving licenses and history, including if they had caused any accidents in the past.
- Credit history: A credit employment check confirms if a job applicant has any history of debt. This mainly applies if you want to hire a candidate in a financial position since they need to be trusted with corporate funds.
- Social media activity: Most job applicants do not make it to the cut just because of their engagement in social media platforms. For example, a job applicant with hate speech, discriminatory language, or other negative behavior is not worth including in your organization.
- Medical screening: This test is separate from background checks, but most employers prefer including it as part of the checks. If you want a candidate to operate machinery, drive, or perform highly technical tasks, you must ensure that they are in their best health to avoid workplace accidents in the future.
What causes a red flag on a background check?
The primary goal of conducting background checks using top background verification companies is to get the best of the best. You will learn more information about a job applicant, and it’s up to you to decide whether they are worth representing your company or not.
That being said, below are the significant red flags that you shouldn’t turn a blind eye to. With this in mind, it will be easier for you to choose the most befitting candidate for your open position.
- Multiple unemployment patterns could be a clear indication that the job applicant is ch with. Such candidates usually do not stay at work because every other day, they will come up with excuses to take time off every other day.
- If a candidate did not stay in multiple organizations for a more extended period, you need to dig deeper. If the reasons for leaving the companies were not associated with having temporary or seasonal jobs, such candidates would not function well in your organization, especially if you are looking for long-term candidates.
- If there are any discrepancies or inconsistencies in their educational or work information, you need to investigate further. The chances are that the information included in the resume is incorrect.
- Some job applicants will only want to make themselves relevant by not including some of their job experiences in the resume. Although there could be an explanation for it, you need to dig deeper to ensure that it does affect your business in the long run.
- Criminal history is another cause for alarm in employment checks. Allow the job applicant to explain themselves and also take time to verify their explanation. If they are honest with their explanation, then you can consider hiring them.
- Poor credit history is also a determining factor, especially if you are hiring for a financial-related position. You do not want an employee who struggles with debts and loans to handle your money, do you?
- Some background checks require the consent of a job applicant. Once you send a request and they refuse to approve it, there is definitely a skeleton in the closet. Here, you may want to consider another applicant.
- Bad references can also be a cause for alarm in background checks. For example, a previous employer may have a bad reference about a candidate due to minor uncontrollable misunderstandings. However, should you hear the same negative opinions from different employers, take your time to find out more.
Every employer, whether owning a small or large enterprise, needs background check software. This tool will help you hire the right candidate, create a safe environment for your workers, reduce employee turnover, and stay competitive. Our above list of background check companies will help you achieve these objectives and more. Therefore, while choosing either of them, consider your company’s needs, including the number of employees to hire, budget, and more.
