Protection Employer Checks and Criminal Records

Background checks and criminal records searches are an important part of protecting the employer and making sure that potential hires are free from any criminal offenses or other types of misconduct. Employees with a criminal history can be a liability for any employer, as well as a threat to the harmony, order, and peace of the office. Some employers hire private investigators to do background checks on potential employees, while others primarily rely on and conduct their own in-house searches.

There are private institutions that conduct their own investigations, however, the cost for these organizations are much higher than sticking with a public background check.

Each state has a process in place for doing background checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies. There are several options for those who want to conduct a background check on their own.

Here are some tips to get you started

Be sure to obtain permission in writing from the person you wish to conduct a background search on. Let them know which types of searches you will be conducting ; i.e., criminal background check, employment verification, education, etc. the types of searches you will be conducting should be listed on the permission form that you ask them to sign.

Give the search engine the personal information that is needed, including  a first and a last name, the person's date of birth,  mailing address, and social security number.

Indicate which records you are searching for. Some office have specific forms for each type of search they are conducting. You may choose to search from the FBI's database,l also knows as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC0, or you may choose to conduct a search of the state database. You also have the option of choosing both if you wish.

Pay for the cost of your search. Complete all of the required forms, making sure that you pay close attention to the submission requirements. Some agencies will ask you to send in the form or forms in together along with your address  and a stamped envelop. They may also ask you to include a check or the money order for the processing fee.