Screening Backgrounds and Checking References

Before making an offer, prescreen your applicants by performing background and reference checks. You want to make sure that no part of the resume or interview answers was fabricated.

Benefits of prescreening applicants include the following:

• Discourages applicants who are hiding something

• Saves time, resources, and money recruiting, hiring, and training

• Reduces the chance of injury to employees

• Reduces employee theft

• Reduces employment turnover

• Reduces insurance premiums

• Protects against negligent-hiring lawsuits

• Eliminates uncertainties in the hiring process

You can perform employment background checks by using services such as Verified Person, at www.verifiedperson.com (see Figure 22.1).

Figure 22.1. Verified Person performs employment background checks. Services include SSN verification, criminal records search, employment verification, and drug screening.

Its services include the following:

• Social Security number verification

• State and county criminal search

• Nationwide criminal search

• Federal criminal search

• Ongoing criminal screening

• Enhanced sex offender search

• Education verification

• Employment verification

• Professional license verification

• Pre-employment credit history

• Motor vehicle records

• Reference checks

• Workers' compensation

• U.S. government terrorist watch list search

• Drug screening

• International criminal searches

Pricing varies, depending on how much information you need to verify.