Criminal History Records

Criminal History Records

Employers have traditionally checked the backgrounds of job applicants by verifying education, employment, and references, but, in recent years, pre-employment screening has expanded to commonly include Criminal History Records. The trend has been fueled by costly negligent-hiring litigation and by the desire of both large and small employers to maintain a productive work environment free of violence and sexual harassment.

A large number of online businesses now offer quick and relatively inexpensive searches for Criminal History Records. Unfortunately, many background search companies only use Internet databases for their investigations, and that can result in findings that are sometimes incomplete or out of date.

To get the most reliable results, employers should use experienced screening companies that go directly to the applicable court records for their searches. This is not always easy, because job resumes don’t necessarily reveal all the places an applicant has lived. Thus, it’s extremely important to work with vendors who have the expertise to look beyond the obvious.