Answer

What do they look for in a background check?

Background screenings can vary greatly depending on what is required of certain positions, industry standards, and state laws. DISA's products include:

  • Criminal History Checks (Federal, State, and County)
  • Civil Searches (Federal and County)
  • SSN Validity Checks
  • Employment Verifications
  • Education Verifications
  • I-9 and E-Verify
  • State Driving Records
  • Professional Licenses and Credentials
  • Credit Reports
  • Adverse Action Notices
  • Personal Reference Verifications
  • Government Sanctions Lists
  • Sex Offender Searches
  • DOT Testing History
  • Criminal Investigative Services
Background Check related

How do you do a background check?

An employer must first establish a background check policy with their company. Once implemented, they can begin performing background checks, usually for pre-employment, but sometimes ongoing depending on the position. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) § 604 – 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, employers are required to provide applicants with a separate written disclosure, which advises that a consumer report may be obtained for employment purposes. The document must consist solely of the disclosure as a stand-alone document. Additionally, the employer also must obtain the applicant’s written consent to order the background check.

DISA accesses a database that consists of more than 180 million criminal record files, which have been compiled from a variety of sources, including local law enforcement, statewide criminal record repositories, departments of corrections, state parole and probation records, local public records sources, etc. to identify pointer data to be verified at the source. DISA also uses data sources to compile counties where a person may have lived. The database file may uncover multiple states/jurisdictions where the applicant had no previous address history. These products serve as a pointer used to determine the jurisdictions in which an individual has lived, worked, or attended school for purposes of criminal history ordering.

Pre-employment background checks are the most common. As an employer, you want to ensure a safe hire every time to protect your company’s reputation and workplace safety. Employees are often screened during the hiring process with a background check according to the company’s policy. Depending on the employer and the industry, background checks can vary greatly.