It is always a great idea to conduct a background check on an employee, especially one who is going to work around children, as in the case of an Ice Cream Truck driver. This story indicates that the Bureau of Criminal Identification will conduct a check for $20-$30.00, however, be warned that their database is flawed. Not every county in Ohio reports to BCI. It is recommended that you conduct a residential history of the applicant and contact every county they have resided in to determine any crimes. In addition, you should conduct a nationwide sexual offender search through the Department of Justice.

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I believe that North Dakota is behind the times by not requiring background checks for their employees. While it is not mandatory, I certainly hope that each school district across the state will conduct their due diligence and use background checks as a part of the hiring process.
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In this very interesting article, you find out that in Iowa, you can become a judge without getting a background check conducted on yourself. If you want to work at the local store, a background check is required, but if you want to sit on the bench and judge others, you do not have to submit to a background check. I think that is a flaw in the system that led to possible fraud.

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You might think that if someone wanted in another state for kidnapping applied to work in a school, nursing home or carnival in Massachusetts, that a state background check would mention the out-of-state charges.

You’d be wrong.

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18 year old Winston-Salem State University student Brittany Tenae McNeil was a recent near victim of identity mix-up. Brittany started working at a Target store about a month ago, but was called off after ChoicePoint reported she had a misdemeanor larceny charge and a trespassing charge.

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Lately I have been answering some questions on BakgroundChatter.com that got me to thinking. What does the average person think about background checks or more accurately, what do they think a background check consists of? From speaking with people I think they get the sense that it is like CSI. We have computers and type in the persons name, and pages of information come up including photographs and that persons complete history down to their kindergarten finger paintings. I’m sorry to say it just doesn’t work that way. Some days I wish it did because it would make our jobs much easier, but it doesn’t. Read more…

We just returned from the 2008 National Association of Professional Background Screeners conference in New Orleans!

We had a great time exploring the city and an even better time immersing ourselves into the educational seminars regarding the background screening industry. Read more…

If you are an employer, you want the best employment background check that money can buy, unless your budget does not allow it. As a Human Resource manager, you search the internet for the background check that offers the most coverage, provides the most detail and will still fit within the budget set forth by management. This typically leads you to looking for a “nationwide” criminal background check, because after all, if it is nationwide then it must be the best! Sadly, these checks are far from the best, and in many cases may cause employers to hire an applicant with a record and place their company at a higher risk for lawsuits. Read more…

Background checks, the phrase brings with it a connotation of mystery. Many people aren’t even aware of what a background check entails. Many people are worried, wrongly I might add, about an invasion of privacy. Why do I, as an employer, get to know about your background? Well, there are many reasons but I would say that the most compelling among them is because I do not want to lose my business! Is it fair to judge someone based on their past performance? In many instances I would say yes! How come I get to pick and choose who works for my company? Because, it is my business! I owe my employees a safe workplace. I owe my family a secure future.

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The best possible source for verification of general information about any person is his or her civil records.

Civil records are credible. With increased pressure on checking antecedents or getting the background checks conducted before employing or even engaging a professional, civil record morgues are now put to use more frequently than ever before.

What information can civil records provide? Read more…