Why do you need verified background checks?

September 5, 2016 / 2 min read

Background checks are a smart investment in protecting your employees, customers, and vendors, because they can help reduce the chance of workplace violence by weeding out job candidates who may pose a threat before they are on the job.

In the world of background checks, there isn’t one “standard” that every employer uses or that every provider offers. Depending on the role an employer is looking to fill, there are as many options as there are job descriptions. But the debate centers on one question: to verify, or not to verify?

At iiX, as with most other reputable background check providers, we only offer criminal searches that are based on verified records. What does that mean? In short, we take steps to ensure that when we return a criminal history report on your job candidate or employee, we verify the information with the source of the finding to prevent returning a report on someone else, who might share the same or a similar name, for example.

This is important for a few reasons. First, a person’s livelihood is at stake, and nobody wants to deny a job to anyone because of an inaccuracy that could easily be avoided with proper research.

Second, background checks are regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The FCRA states very clearly that consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) “shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates.”

Our thorough procedures might mean waiting a bit longer for the results of a background check to be returned, as compared with the “instant” findings delivered via a quick database search, but we are committed to delivering accurate results in compliance with the law. If your company has made the smart decision to provide a safe work environment, it makes sense to follow the rules when it comes to properly conducting background checks. To protect your company from potential workplace threats or even possible litigation due to a reliance on inaccurate information during the hiring process, we recommend that you use only verified reports.