The practice of conducting effective background checks/employment screening for prospective employees or on people of interest such as the adverse party to a civil legal action has exploded over the last 15 years. Regarding employee hiring practices, the need to hire the most qualified candidate, and the risk in hiring the wrong candidate, has never been greater. Workplace crime, unethical business practices and misleading resume information are on the rise. The costs of not performing proper employment background checks for fraud, embezzlement, theft and or violence are a multi-billion dollar drain on our economy for organizations both large and small.

In the same manner, having a plaintiff or defendant’s criminal background check during or prior to legal proceedings may become helpful in determining a claims validity or possible weaknesses. This knowledge could be a great asset if mediation, arbitration or a trial date is in the future.

What is an effective method for conducting a background check?

No subject or applicant will ever be the same, therefore individual records needing to be checked can vary. There is no one set way of conducting all background checks. We generally spend approximately 50% of our research time reviewing data base information and the other 50% of the time knocking on doors and making telephone calls to obtain interviews as requested.

The term “Background Check” can refer to a wide array of services and practices, but there are some basics that must be followed in order to obtain the most accurate, current and concise information. To begin, the county courthouse records should be checked in the states your subject has resided over the past 7-10 years. It is also acceptable and recommended to check maiden and alias names in each county as well.

If you are an employer you may wish to conduct a background and credit check, if the applicant will have access to money or financial records. In some cases you will need the subject / applicants consent to check credit history. In many cases an education or employment verification can reveal a great deal about a person’s character and past performance. A background check can verify that the information is accurate or may reveal significant discrepancies.

No background investigation would be complete without a search of the subject’s Social Media footprint. Northwest Investigations & Consulting offers a Deep Social Media report that is extremely detailed and easy to read. Please telephone or email for more information.

Once all of the information is obtained by the employer or attorney he or she will be armed with all the information needed to make an informed decision.