Background checks in focus: Thorough screening of recruits can help prevent surprises - Agenda Employment & Staffing - brief related article on tips for selecting a employee screening firm - Brief Article

HR Magazine, Jan, 2002 by Merry Mayer

Merry Mayer is a Chicago-based freelance writer who specializes in business, government and technology.

RELATED ARTICLE: Get the Details Upfront

When selecting a vendor for background checks, be sure to ask the following questions:

* Does the criminal history check go back seven years even if the court's automated records cover only the last one to six years?

* When necessary, will you manually search those records to cover the seven-year period? Is there an additional charge?

* When conducting county-level criminal history checks, do you always search the felony and misdemeanor records, even if the records are housed in separate repositories or at different locations? Is there an additional charge if the records are in different locations?

* Does the information reported include arrest records?

Merry Mayer