The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that 95% of organizations surveyed run some type of background check on all of their applicants before they hire them. The types of checks that will be run on you will often be determined by the type of position that is being offered, the industry, and the company itself.
A background check consists of several different types of screening "searches" to create a background check package. Below are some of the most common background check searches descriptions.
Background Check Search Descriptions
Person / Identity Search: (SS#, Identity Search, Address Search)
A search of your social security number to make sure the number is of legitimate use; it also provides addresses of where you are living and where you have lived going back to 7 years, with the dates of those addresses. In addition, the Person / Identity Search will also give names or alias's that are associated with your social security number. It is also known as an identity search and is used to help identify you to be matched to any existing criminal checks that will be searched.
County Criminal Search:
A search of misdemeanors and felonies at the county courthouse of where you are currently living, or it can include where you have lived in the past, usually going back 7 years of address history. Records are looked up by name and date of birth only.
TIP: If you have used a different name in the past, aka an alias, then that name may come up as well. Most companies will run that name as well if other identifies are matched to that name. The most common example of this is when a woman gets married and her last name changes.
National Criminal Database Search (multijurisdictional):
A search of misdemeanors and felonies of all states reporting records to databases, keeping in mind that not all counties and states are required to report such records. It often does not produce up to date results because the information is not taken directly from the original source and because not all states and counties are required to report their records to any databases. However, it is a useful search because it gives a broader scope, covering a larger area. It could potentially report a record outside of the state in which you had lived.
TIP: A common misconception is that a "National" Criminal Search of any kind covers all criminal records, when in fact it does not. Selfie Background Check recommends doing a County Criminal Search with any database search as databases are not as up to date as a County Criminal Search.
Sex Offender Search:
A search of the national sex offender registry by a person’s name and birth date. Sex Offender photos and description of their crime are included in the history.
Federal Criminal Search:
A search of federal criminal records; crimes that are charged and convicted in the federal courts. These are crimes against the US government. Examples of these types of crimes would include mail fraud, drug trafficking across state lines, computer crimes, crimes committed in an airport. In most cases, federal crimes may not come up in any county, state, or national criminal searches because it is a different type of crime, recorded in a different type of court. Most companies will run this check for higher level positions or for positions that will be dealing with sensitive information or money.
Motor Vehicle Report* (MVR): (not available in PA)
A search/report of your driving record.
Monthly / Continuous Monitoring:
A search that will continuously monitor your criminal records and alert you if, and when any changes occur, in real time. It is a subscription service that is automatically run on a monthly basis. This is a fairly new type of search that companies are starting to use to become more proactive regarding criminal situations that may come up with their current employees. Currently, most employers will do a background check when a person if first hired. After that, they do not. That is starting to change with Monthly / Continuous Monitoring. If a possible record does come up on the Monthly / Continuous Monitoring search, and it is not from a County that is already on your criminal search, then a County Criminal Search will be done to verify the information. This is required by the FCRA, Fair Credit Reporting Act.
A search/report of your driving record.
Monthly / Continuous Monitoring:
A search that will continuously monitor your criminal records and alert you if, and when any changes occur, in real time. It is a subscription service that is automatically run on a monthly basis. This is a fairly new type of search that companies are starting to use to become more proactive regarding criminal situations that may come up with their current employees. Currently, most employers will do a background check when a person if first hired. After that, they do not. That is starting to change with Monthly / Continuous Monitoring. If a possible record does come up on the Monthly / Continuous Monitoring search, and it is not from a County that is already on your criminal search, then a County Criminal Search will be done to verify the information. This is required by the FCRA, Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Monthly / Continuous Monitoring
Get alerts of any changes or of any new charges on your record for an entire year.
Selfie Background Check offers Monthly / Continuous Monitoring as a subscription service that is similar to having credit protection monitoring on yourself, except instead of credit changes, you get alerted of any changes or of any new criminal charges that go on your record.
More importantly, this will alert you of possible mistakes that are now on your criminal record. Many companies and industries are opting to use this service, such as the ride sharing space.
Be automatically notified when:
-There is a warrant out for your arrest
-Someone is using your identity and committing crimes
- Mistakes occurred in the courts, listing your name on criminal records
-There is a warrant out for your arrest
-Someone is using your identity and committing crimes
- Mistakes occurred in the courts, listing your name on criminal records
