Employment Screening/Background Checks and Public Records
These are questions you may have asked at one time or another. These are also questions that state policymakers have considered when setting licensure standards and requirements for various professions.
Public records play a critical role in screening applicants for employment or licensure. Public and court records allow employers and licensing agencies to verify an applicant’s identity and credentials, as well as determine whether an applicant has a criminal record.
According to a January 20, 2004 Wall Street Journal article, all types of businesses, ranging from daycare centers to corporations, recognize the importance of employee criminal background checks. Pre-employment background screenings are more common than ever. A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, in Alexandria, Virginia, found that about 80% of companies performed criminal background checks on potential employees in 2003, up from 51% in 1996.
Policy that prohibits the collection or disclosure of certain personal information, such as Social Security Numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and phone numbers found in public and court records, significantly impacts the ability to carefully screen candidates for employment or licensure.
WHY? Such policy limits the ability to accurately “match” candidates to the records that correspond to them, thus limiting the ability to verify identity and criminal history information. This becomes a very serious limitation when considering employment in a business that requires a high level of security, such as at a nuclear power facility.
Background checks were an important part of the operation of the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Over 70,000 workers and volunteers were screened as a means of protecting spectators and athletes.
A number of non-profit organizations use public records to perform background checks for their employees and volunteers. For example, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America relies on background checks of its employees and volunteers to help ensure the safety and security of children who participate in their programs.
States license physicians and other medical professionals, attorneys, private investigators, hair stylists and cosmetologists, surveyors and contractors, hazardous waste specialists, and dozens of other professionals. Access to this licensing information is a key means of locating a qualified specialist; verifying his or her identity; ensuring appropriate licensure, as well as specialization; and seeking redress in the event of unsatisfactory performance.
Read More:
Background Checks Might Be Worth the Price, by Rick Brundrett
