It is surprising how many people are not aware that most landlords these days have a policy of conducting background checks on their prospective tenants. It may also be surprising that some landlords are not completely knowledgeable about the scope that is permissible in such checks.

The general idea is that a landlord needs to know that his prospective tenant is responsible and reliable. For example, it is in his best interest to know in advance that the person to whom he is renting will pay his rent, keep the property in good condition, and not conduct any illegal or other dangerous activity on his property. As it is certainly reasonable for the landlord to want to know this kind of information prior to taking the person on as a tenant, obtaining the facts is an appropriate measure. Read more…

In this article found within the Wall Street Journal, a question arises about the need to disclose a criminal arrest from 20 years ago, because his employer is thinking about conducting post employment background checks on current employees.

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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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What do you 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…