Backgrounds Online's Knowledge Bank

Who you choose to background check depends on the nature of your business, the portion of the public engaged and the scope of security appropriate to your company, all while being fair and balanced.

Companies may decide to only background check applicants as part of the interview process. They can also background check all of their current employees when they initiate the screening process and policy. Depending on the nature of the business, some employers may background check employees annually as well. For instance, companies who employee drivers might want to make sure their employees have valid and active drivers’ licenses.

Some specific laws make certain checks mandatory rather than discretionary. Some of these positions include people in the trucking industry as well as those jobs requiring contact with children, elderly and disabled people. Laws may not only dictate who to check, but insurance companies may do the same. In the driving industry, some insurance companies may not insure the employee if their license is not valid or they have had certain infractions in their history.

Of most importance is consistency. When an employer decides background check employees, they must be consistent. For instance, if they decide to background check their management, then all members of management must be checked. If they choose to background check employees who are applying for a cashier’s job, then all applicants or that position must be background checked.