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When searching the internet, it can be difficult to weed out all the unreliable background check providers. This can cause you to search for features that aren’t needed and increase your costs. To avoid this, keep these important factors in mind throughout your search, and you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for in no time.
Search Capability
Search capability refers to how thorough an investigation looks into a person’s past. Many people believe that a simple search will give them all the information they need, but this is not always true. The level of search capability required depends on what kind of information you’re trying to find. There are different levels of search capability that a background check service can provide.
- Basic Search Capability – This is the most basic level of search available, which simply allows you to order a copy of an individual’s criminal history report. It’s important to note that this type of report only includes arrests that have been made public, so it doesn’t necessarily give an accurate picture of the person’s past behavior.
- Enhanced Search Capability – An enhanced criminal history report provides more information than just arrests and convictions. It also includes things like traffic violations, civil suits and judgments, and pending charges that have not yet resulted in convictions. This type of report is much more comprehensive than a basic one and gives you a clearer picture of how someone has behaved in the past.
- Full Access Search Capability – A full access search provides even more information about an individual than an enhanced report does, including things like birth dates (which are sometimes missing from other types of reports), addresses for the last three years (as opposed to just two years), previous aliases and much more.
Types of Background Checks
There are several types of background checks that you can order for your employees and potential hires. However, depending on the depth of screening you may need to consult state laws. If your business is located in Charleston, then you’ll need to check the South Carolina background check laws to ensure legality, and so on for other states.
Criminal Records Check
This is the most common type of background check, and it’s also one that employers are legally required to conduct before they hire a new employee. A criminal records check looks at any convictions or arrests that the candidate has had in the past seven years. It also looks at any pending criminal charges.
Education Verification
This type of background check is often done when an employer wants to verify information about an applicant’s educational history. This can include verifying if a person attended college or university as well as details about their degree. Education verification reports can also look into things like GPA scores and other related academic information. These reports are particularly useful for jobs with high educational requirements.
Employment History Checks
An employment history check will show whether someone has worked at their current job for a long period of time or if they have been fired from previous jobs due to poor performance or misconduct while working there. It is important to take this into consideration because it can help determine how well-suited someone might be for certain positions within your company, such as working with customers or handling sensitive information like financial records or trade secrets.
Pricing Options
The cost of a background check is often one of the first things that most people look at when choosing a service. However, it’s not the only thing you should consider. There are many different types of pricing options available, and some of them may be better suited to your needs than others. Here are some of the most common pricing options:
Per search pricing
This is the most basic option available, and it allows you to pay for each individual search that you perform through the service. This can be a good choice if you only need to run one or two searches, but it can start to get expensive if you need to run more than that.
Annual membership fee
With this type of pricing option, you pay an annual membership fee – which will typically be around $100 per year – and then have access to all of the background checks that you need for as long as your membership lasts (typically 12 months). This is a good choice if you routinely need background checks for many different applicants (or other purposes) because it saves money over time when compared with paying per search.
Monthly subscription fee
Some services offer monthly subscriptions that allow users to run as many searches as they want within a given month without any additional fees.
Customer Support
The most important thing about a background check service is customer support. You need to be able to get in touch with someone if you have any questions or concerns. The best background check services will offer 24/7 customer support. That way, you can contact them whenever you need to, and they will be able to answer your questions and resolve any issues that arise quickly. There are several different types of customer support that you can get as a client:
Live Chat
This is one of the most common forms of customer support because it’s easy and convenient for everyone involved. You just need an internet connection, which most people have these days, and you can chat with an agent at any time of day or night. Live chat is great because it allows both parties to communicate in real-time, so there’s no delay when trying to solve a problem or answer a question.
Email
Email is another common form of customer support that many companies offer their clients. However, it’s not as convenient as live chat because there may be some delay before your question gets answered.
Speed and Efficiency
You should also consider how the background check service operates. You want to make sure that they offer a mobile-friendly website and app so you can use their services no matter where you are. The best background check services will also have an automated system that allows you to run multiple searches at one time. Once you discover this you will end up saving time by automating the process.
Quality of Reports
When you use a service, you want to ensure that your results are accurate and up to date. You should check to see if there have been any complaints about their services before you decide to use them. If you find that there are many complaints about a company, then it is better not to use them. If you find that they have very few complaints, then this shows that they have good customer service and they will be able to address any problems you may have with your report in a timely manner.
A background check can be extremely important and potentially informative, but don’t settle for a company that won’t follow through. A lot of the time, what you pay for is what you get, but it might be worth putting in a bit more time searching to find the right company. You have a lot riding on your search—especially if you’re looking into an employee or a babysitter. So take the necessary precautions to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.
