4 Ways To Speed Up Your Background Checks

Improving the turnaround time of your background checks helps your company acquire top talent and creates a stronger talent pipeline. Here are four simple things you can do to improve your turnaround time. Thanks to one of our partners, Verified First, for sharing their insight with us.

After completing an interview process and finding the candidate of your dreams, completion of a background check is often the final requirement on your hiring checklist. A fast background check helps your company acquire top talent and improve productivity through filling open positions more quickly. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that many hiring managers view turnaround time as the most important factor when conducting a background screening.​

Despite this, there are a few considerations that make it difficult to complete a background check quickly. Some factors, such as verification delays from an employer, an inefficient retrieval system for court records, or a slow response from a county clerk, are outside the control of a screening provider. Fortunately, not everything is out of your hands.

There are several things you can do to improve the speed of your background checks:

1. Choose the Right Screening Provider

Some businesses make the mistake of only choosing a screening provider based on cost, rather than quality and turnaround time. However, this approach can actually lead to higher costs if you take into account increased time-to-hire and loss of productivity from unfilled positions. When choosing a provider, it’s beneficial to choose one with business practices streamlined for quick turnaround.

For example, many providers outsource their workers overseas, which often create longer turnaround times because of a language barrier and a lack of familiarity of the American judicial system. Verified First employs all of their customer service and compliance agents in their Meridian, Idaho headquarters. Our local expertise results in faster turnaround times for our clients.

2. Leverage the online collection process

If your provider collects candidate data online, leveraging their process will improve hiring efficiencies. An online ordering progress or applicant tracking system integration creates many benefits for an employer.  It will reduce data errors, duplicate information, and expedite obtaining candidate approval for screening. A smooth online process also improves the candidate experience – creating a stronger brand and impression of your organization.

3. Provide all applicable documentation

Screening providers need specific documentation before they can run a background check. Some information is required to run a search, such as a candidate’s SSN and date of birth. Other documentation, such as a signed disclosure and authorization forms, is required to comply with legal requirements such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Before submitting an order directly to your provider, review a checklist of required materials. If you submit an order without required information, it will take more time when your screening professionals need to follow up for more information. Through ensuring your provider has everything they need the first time, you will reduce a delay in the screening process.

4. Submit your screening request early in the day

Many screening researchers have dozens of names on their task lists for high-volume search areas. Because orders are typically processed in the order they are received, an early request makes it more likely that your order will begin processing in the same day.  3

Faster Turnaround Time Improves Your Hiring Process

A faster turnaround time has significant benefits for on-boarding. If you extend a job offer contingent on passing a background check, a fast turnaround will reduce the chance that a candidate will lose interest or move on to a different offer. Through implementing the above steps, you can mitigate unnecessary delays in your background check turnaround times.

This article is courtesy of our partner, Verified First. To learn how our integration speeds up your hiring process, click here.