When it comes to creating and maintaining a safe workplace, nothing gets the job done better than background checks. To make sure you're getting the most value from your background process, here's a quick look at a few common misconceptions and how you can avoid mistakes:

A Background Check is a Background Check is a Background Check

Not every background check is the same; there are dozens of different types of background checks that can be run. Different people and different agencies can mean vastly different things when discussing background checks ranging from basic SSN traces or credit checks all the way to comprehensive checks and everything in between. It's critical that you clearly and specifically identify the types of background checks you need in your organization and that you use an accredited agency to collect and interpret the reports to ensure compliance, accuracy, and reliability.

Background Checks Can Be Done Online

It can often feel like a quick internet search is sufficient to get the job done, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Here's why:

• There's no such thing as a comprehensive criminal database. If you're searching for criminal history online, you're going to get an incomplete picture (at best) and an inaccurate picture (at the worst).
• Viewing social media info and other online data puts you at risk for making discriminatory hiring decisions. Once you see something, it's impossible to unsee it and it's really difficult to not use it in a hiring decision.
• It's easy to make errors. How do you know the John Smith you searched for turns up information on the right John Smith?
• Compliance is a big deal. Even if you're running background checks on your own, you're required to comply exactly to regulations set forth in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Noncompliance comes with heavy fines and costly lawsuits.

It's far better to use an accredited agency to run professional background checks that are complete, accurate, and compliant.

Background Checks are Too Expensive and Too Slow

Meeting your hiring budget goals is important, but onboarding the wrong hires is a sure-fire way to blow up the budget every time. It's a far better strategy to take the time and spend the money to do your due diligence ahead of time to ensure quality hires from the beginning. Advanced technologies make background checks efficient and flexible pricing plans make large and small business background screening well within reach of any size organization.

Do you have any other misconceptions about background checks? Talk to a professional screening agency today to get the facts and start screening.