Background checks are an important part of the hiring process for small businesses, medium-sized companies, corporations, and even government agencies. In fact, many agencies and individuals will run background checks on freelancers and other professionals to make sure they’re a good fit for a project.

While most people think of a criminal records search as a background check, this is only a small piece of the puzzle. Most background checks include Social Security number verification, sex offender registry searches, and much more.

For this reason, understanding the types of background checks can be crucial for the success of your company. Knowing what background checks can be run is also helpful for employees preparing for background checks. Read on to learn more.

What Is a Background Check?

A background check is a process used by individuals, companies, and governments to compare someone’s public records to their hiring standards. These checks are useful for verifying identity, combing through criminal records, and testing for use of illicit drugs. There are several types of background checks and how they’re used and scored varies based on the company.

What Type of Background Checks Are There?

Background checks come in many different variations. The types of background checks can also vary based on the job that someone is applying for.

A great example is a driving record check. This type of background check involves checking someone’s motor vehicle report (MVR), which is helpful, but only for driving records searches. Therefore, this background check is only used for jobs that require operating heavy machinery like driving a bus, commercial vehicle, or operating a crane.

Different types of background checks also have different red flags. Using driving record checks as an example again, someone who has a DUI might be a suitable candidate for a retail position but on a driving records check this is a red flag. Other traffic violations like reckless driving and speeding can also influence the background check.

That said, this is only one example. Learn more about the different types of background checks below.

Social Security Number Verification

One of the most common types of background checks is Social Security number (SSN) verification. This is the most common background check run and it’s used by most companies and government agencies to verify someone’s identity. Its purpose is to check someone’s SSN against records pertaining to that number. This can include checking credit card accounts, address history, and even education or work history.

Red flags for this background check include inconsistencies with SSN records and someone lying about their number or using a number that was already in use.

Drug Test

Drug tests can be used as part of the background check process, but they’re rarely used alone. A drug test looks for evidence of drug use by testing urine, hair, or blood. Red flags for this type of background check include evidence of drug use in an applicant’s urine, blood, or hair when tested.

Criminal Records Search

A criminal records search is one of the most common background check methods. It checks someone’s criminal records, court records, and arrest records. Sex offender registry searches are usually included in this type of search, so keep that in mind as well.

Red flags for this background check are based on criminal records appearing in the search. Felonies and sexual offenses can be emolument disqualifiers. It’s also important to note that some states have lookback laws. These laws limit companies to only going back seven to ten years for criminal records – some felonies might override these laws.

Financial Background Checks

When applying for positions where an applicant acts as a fiduciary or in jobs where someone handles money, they have to pass a financial background check. These background checks look into information from someone’s credit report.

Anything from credit score to debt-to-income-ratio are fair game in these background checks. Red flags usually include bankruptcy that happened within seven years, a bad credit score, or delinquencies on someone’s credit profile.

Run Every Type of Background in One Convenient Place

As you can see, there are a handful of background check methods. For this reason, working with different agencies or bouncing around to different databases can be a hassle.

The good news is that online lookup tools can help you run every type of background check in one convenient place. All you need to get started is someone’s name, address, or phone number. When you run the search, you can open a full report that reveals someone’s identity, known aliases, criminal records, court records, sex offender status, and much more.

Published by: Khy Talara