5 Background Check Challenges to Watch Out for When Hiring a Provider

An important consideration for any human resource professional when hiring is the background dbs check process. One wrong step during the background check process and your firm could end up with a lemon. 

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Here are a couple of challenges that should serve as a red flag when undergoing the background check process with a service provider to prevent such from happening. 

  1. Inconsistent Costing 

The background check cost is usually a significant determinant of its quality. This doesn’t mean your provider should charge you exorbitant rates to get the job done. However, if you want to ensure the candidates are thoroughly screened, you might need to invest a little more. 

Depending on the job description, a formal screening report should cover numerous things. For example, it should cover the candidate’s credit history, verification of social security details, criminal history, education and employment history, and any other necessary background information. 

In instances where the service provider says they can provide most of this for free, it is highly likely that most of the information and reports might be incomplete. This could be potentially harmful to the business. 

  1. Increasing the Time to Hire 

Time to hire is a critical element during the hiring process, and your service provider should be able to give you a definite timeline for the background check process. Usually, the business unit hiring is also in a hurry to get the staff in, and the candidate might also have other options. 

Suppose the service provider ends up taking more time than average. In that case, you run the risk of disrupting the hiring manager’s plans and, in extreme situations, losing out on the candidate thoroughly. 

  1. An Inefficient Screening Process

In the heat of the moment, the efficiency of the screening process is often overlooked. However, this is critical to the success of reducing the time to hire. It could be as simple as the process of starting the check, the report format, or the speed of response. 

All of these factors play a role in increasing the overall efficiency of the screening process. An easy and efficient screen process ensures the hiring process is seamless. 

  1. A Negative Candidate Experience

The highlight of a significant recruitment process is a positive experience for the candidates, including those who don’t get hired. This is doubly important in this modern age of hiring, where candidates can compare different firms’ hiring process and leave reviews on public forums. 

The background check process plays an essential role in showcasing your hiring process as a positive one to the candidates. Your screening service provider also echoes what your brand stands for in the hiring market. 

  1. Compliance Issues 

Last but not least, you need to be on the watch out for compliance failings from your service provider. Your screening service provider must be compliant with EEOC and FCRA regulations. 

These laws are changed regularly to match the constantly evolving landscape of hiring, so you need to be aware that you don’t hire a provider that isn’t compliant. There are legal and business risks to using a screening service provider that isn’t compliant. 

The Bottomline

The background check process is an integral element of the hiring process. It ensures the best candidate is hired and protects the company from any legal or business risks that could occur due to hiring the wrong candidate. It also acts as a marketing tool for attracting equally competent candidates to the firm when gotten right.

A complete understanding of the challenges and how to avoid them is the mark of a competent HR professional. 

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