Can I Do a DIY Employee Background Check? 24 Nov 2017

These days it seems like the Do It Yourself, or DIY, trend has taken over just about everything. From installing a new patio to changing their car’s oil, people are excited about the possibility of doing things on their own. DIY is popular because it can save you money and bring about a lot of satisfaction as well.

In a small business setting, where it’s common to be concerned with the bottom line, many adopt this DIY attitude and seek to take matters into their own hands — for example, by making their own website or designing their own business cards. Sometimes this strategy works, but other times it’s best to partner with the professionals.

We often hear feedback from companies who tried to run their own background checks. In general, it doesn’t go so well. Here’s why DIY employee background checks for small businesses aren’t such a great idea:

Questionable Information

The internet can be deceptive. On the surface, it can appear as though you have a limitless number of resources at your disposal. A quick Google search will result in a plethora of sites and services offering a quick, accurate employee screening. However, the sources these sites use are not the same as what a qualified member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) might use. The information you receive could be outdated, wrong, or for another person altogether.

Using sources that have questionable accuracy will do a lot more than inconvenience you or cause you to lose an otherwise qualified candidate. It could leave you vulnerable to legal action.

A Lot of Time and Confusion

To ensure they are getting the right information, many DIYers cross-check a candidate’s background report with information from multiple other sites. While this might increase the odds that you are receiving accurate information, it is no guarantee. If you end up with conflicting reports, you’ll soon find yourself in a whirl of confusion trying to make sense of the information.

The point of a background check is to verify information and to get a true, factual report about a person’s history. As we have seen and heard from clients, attempting a DIY background check can lead to even more questions than answers.

We live in the era of big data. With so much information available, the true task is in knowing how to navigate and sort through all this data.

At Trusted Employees, we continually reinvest in the latest technologies and research new screening solutions to ensure we give you the most accurate, up-to-date information available. Our goal is to give you the information you need to hire the right people and make the right decision for your company.