In today’s post, we tackle one of the most common questions about background screening: Are background checks accurate? Keep reading to discover the answer to this question and learn the basics of how to design and implement a reliable background screening policy.
Are Background Checks Accurate?
The answer to the question “Are background checks accurate?” is “It depends.”
While this may seem a frustrating answer, it makes sense.
To put it simply, background checks are reasonably accurate, but not infallible. One of the main reasons for this is that there’s no single comprehensive database that compiles data from every county, state, and federal agency in the country.
Having several databases with no standardization is a recipe for disorganization, which in turn breeds inefficiency.
And this is without even taking into consideration data from other countries, where the landscape can be equally — if not more — confusing.
In other words, data is fragmented, and this creates cracks through which something could slip, at least in theory.
Overcoming the Challenges of Background Checks
Given the situation described above, you could have a background check come clean when in reality the individual has committed an offense that for some reason escaped the scope of the search. Maybe the event took place in a state or country not included in the background check. Or perhaps the offense occurred a couple of days after the check was carried out.
All this is possible in theory. However, there are strategies and tools an experienced background screening partner can implement to limit these risks.
For example, conducting an accurate Social Security Number (SSN) trace helps ensure that all the information that a background check yields refers to the right person. This can be followed by a verification of the addresses where the person has lived in the past, a step that helps determine which databases to query during the check.
So, a more comprehensive answer to the question “Are background checks accurate?” would be: background checks are accurate enough, so long as the company performing the checks has the experience, know-how, and tools that are necessary to mitigate the challenges facing the background check industry.
Plexus Global: Background Screening Services in California
Are you a retail company looking for a dependable background screening company? We are located in Riverside, California, and we serve organizations all over the U.S. and abroad.
Contact us today by telephone (844-516-1008), email (sales@plexusglobalinc.com), or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
