Background screening: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What background screening is

A background screening provider verifies identity, employment, education and records for job applicants or tenants, and delivers a report to the employer or landlord. Businesses use screening to check the information a candidate has given, following the consent and fair hiring rules that apply.

Signs you need it

  • You are hiring for a role with access to money, customers, vehicles or sensitive information
  • Applicants have given employment or education history that you cannot yet confirm
  • You need a consistent check for every candidate in a role, so no one is screened differently
  • You are hiring for a position where a licensing or regulatory body requires a check
  • You want to confirm identity before a new hire starts, such as when hiring remotely

What the pro does

  • Set up the screening package based on the role, with the checks that apply to that job
  • Collect written consent from each applicant before any check begins
  • Verify identity, employment history, education and any records the package covers
  • Contact former employers and schools using the contact details the applicant provides
  • Compile the results into a report and flag any item that needs review
  • Give the applicant a chance to respond to the report before a final decision, where the rules require it

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The checks in the package, since each type of record has its own source and steps
  • How many candidates you screen and how often you screen them
  • Whether you need the report quickly, since rush checks take more handling
  • Whether the role requires a check of a specific database or a county level search
  • Whether international checks are needed, which take longer and use other sources
  • Whether the provider must handle a candidate's dispute of a result

What a written quote should spell out

  • Each check in the package and the source it draws from
  • How consent is collected, stored and shared with you
  • The turnaround time for the report and what delays it
  • What the report contains, and how a flagged result is handled
  • How the candidate can dispute a result, and how long records are kept

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you confirm consent from each applicant before a check starts?
  • What steps do you take when a record is found that might belong to someone else?
  • How long do you keep the reports and the consent forms?
  • What is the process if a candidate disputes a result?
  • Which checks do you do yourself, and which do you send to another provider?
  • Do you follow the consumer reporting and fair hiring rules that apply to employers, and how?

Red flags

  • Offers a very fast check with no explanation of where the information comes from
  • Does not require written consent before running a check
  • Cannot explain how a disputed result is handled
  • Promises that a report will be free of errors

What you can do yourself

You can call former employers and schools yourself, using the contact details the applicant gives, and ask them to confirm dates and titles. Hire a screening provider when you need checks of records you cannot reach, when you screen many candidates, or when the rules call for a formal consent and dispute process.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to order a background check, but screening providers operate under consumer reporting and fair hiring rules that apply where they work. Check with your state or local licensing or labor agency for the requirements that apply to your business and the roles you screen for.

Background screening questions

Do I need written consent before a background check?

Often yes, since consent rules apply in many places. Get written consent from the applicant before the check starts, and ask the provider how that consent is recorded.

What if the report shows a record that is not mine?

The applicant can dispute the result. Ask the provider how disputes are handled, and do not make a decision on a disputed item until it is resolved.

How do I keep the results private?

Limit access to the people who make the hiring decision, store the report in a secure location and follow the retention limits in your agreement with the provider.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer background screening remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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  2. 2. Pick the pros you want

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  3. 3. They reach out

    They contact you the way you chose: phone, email or in-app messages.

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