Background Check FAQ:
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I do a background check?
- How do I do a criminal background check?
- How do I Verify a Social Security Number?
- Why do background checks?
- What is an employment background check?
- What is a criminal background check?
- What can be included in a background check?
- What does a typical background check consist of?
- What is the best background check?
- How long does a background check take?
- How far back do background checks go?
- What shows up on a background check?
- Who does background checks?
- How to pass a background check?
- What does a background check cost?
- What kind of information can I get?
- What should employers be looking for in a background check?
- Can anyone run a background check?
- How do I get started?
- What do you need from me?
- Do I need to give the applicant something?
- Does the applicant need to sign something?
- Can I run a background check without telling the employee?
- Can I track results online?
- How do I get results?
- How soon can I get results?
- Do you do California Fingerprints?
Pre Employment Screening Questions We Wish You'd Ask
- What can I do to speed up my order?
- Why do reports sometimes take longer than I expect?
- Are there ever mistakes in background checks?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of Criminal History Databases?
- Does A Matter of Fact maintain a Criminal History, Employment History, or Education History Database?
- What are Thorough Background Check Web Badges and how do they benefit my business?
Q: How do I do a background check? How do I get started? What do you need from me?
A: We strive to make the process easy and straightforward.
Account setup is free.
See our How to Check a Background: Conduct an Employment Background Check page for a step-by-step process.
Q: How do I do a criminal background check?
A: We strive to make a criminal background check easy and straightforward.
See How To Do A Criminal Background Check.
Q: How do I Verify a Social Security Number?
A: During a background check, the best research tool to check a Social Security Number is a SSN Scan. See, Social Security Number Scan.
For more information about Verifying Social Security Numbers before and after a hire, see How to Verify a Social Security Number
Q: Why do background checks?
A: Backgrounding employees has become a matter of necessity for many reasons.
Many applicants
make false claims on their job applications/resumes or have been involved in criminal activity which they do not disclose.
For more information, see Why Do Background Checks?
and
Fake Resumes, Fake References, Fake Degrees: Employer Beware!
Q: What is an employment background check?
A: A Background Check verifies a job candidate's resume and job application.
Independent sources such as criminal and civil court records, prior employers,
educational institutions, and departments of motor vehicles are researched.
For more information, see What is an Employment Background Check?
Q: What is a criminal background check?
A: Criminal history files are searched for possible criminal records for an applicant.
These criminal record searches are the core of any employment background check.
Criminal record checks are the most common of all searches requested from A Matter of Fact.
For more information, see Criminal History Background Check
Q: What can be included in a background check?
A: The basic searches ordered as part of most background checks are
County Criminal Record Checks, Employment Verifications, and Education Verifications.
Social Security Number Scans are also essential because they allow researchers to identify jurisdictions the applicant purposefully or inadvertently neglected to disclose.
For more information about available searches, see
What Can Be Included In A Background Check?
Q: What does a typical background check consist of?
A: The typical Employment Background check consists of a Social Security Number Scan,
County Criminal Record Checks, Employment Verifications, and Education Verifications.
For more information about a typical Background Check, see
What Does a Typical Employment Background Check Consist of?
Q: What is the best background check?
A: The best background check is a comprehensive background check.
A comprehensive background check allows an employer to verify those areas that are important to job performance,
would impact the applicant's job qualifications, or could identify safety issues.
For more information, see
Comprehensive Background Check: The Best Background Check.
Q: What shows up on a background check?
A: A Background Check shows the discrepancies between a candidate's claims and information
reported by independent sources such as court records, prior employers, schools, and government agencies.
For more information, see What Shows Up On Employment Background Check Reports?
Q: Who does background checks?
A: Professional background screening firms like A Matter of Fact conduct the actual background checks
for most private employers. Some large companies have internal corporate security departments.
Most government entities use agencies such as the FBI.
For more information, see Who Does Background Checks?
Q: How to pass a background check?
A: Give a frank and honest explanation during the job interview of any past problems.
Check your records, check your references, and check your web footprints.
For more information, see How to Pass a Background Check.
Q: How long does a background check take?
A: Results are gathered from multiple sources and completed in one to three business days.
However, a few courts, employers, and schools can be hard to contact or slow to respond.
Results from these sources are usually back within a week.
For more information, see How Long Does a Background Check Take?
Q: How far back do background checks go?
A: The most common employment background check requested by our clients is:
A current Social Security Number Scan,
County Criminal Record Checks for counties in which an applicant lived, worked, and went to school during the last seven years,
Employment Verifications for employers for which the applicant worked during the past seven years,
and Education Verifications for all post high school education.
However the full answer to the question is more complicated than that.
For more information, see How Far Back Do Employment Background Checks Go.
Q: What does a background check cost?
A: Cost varies according to depth and quality of the check.
Basic background checks typically cost from $50 to $150 (based on the number of searches requested).
More careful, comprehensive background checks can cost from $200 to $500.
For information about the trade-off between cost and risk, see Criminal Checks: Cost Versus Risk.
For suggestions when budget restrictions impact what you can do, see When Background Check Cost is an Issue.
Q: What kind of information can I get?
A: Most information on a resume or job application can be verified.
Credit checks, driving records, sex offender registry checks, etc., can be very useful if relevant to the job requirements.
Also, Form I-9 and E-Verify can be processed online.
For more information, see
What Can Be In A Background Check?
and The Growing Trend to Thorough Background Checks.
Q: What should employers be looking for in a background check?
A: Most prospective employers are concerned about discrepancies between what the applicant claimed and what is reported by schools, prior employers, etc.
Most also watch for negative reports such as a bad driving record or a criminal history.
It is wise for employers to attempt to verify anything that is important to job performance, would impact the applicant's job qualifications, or could impact the safety of the public, fellow employees, and customers.
For more information, see What do Employers Look for in a Background Check.
Q: Can anyone run a background check?
A: No. Because of the sensitive nature of the information gathered,
background checks are restricted to those with a legal "permissible purpose."
A Matter of Fact only conducts background checks on behalf of bona fide employers.
Visit our Resource Page (the Government Links section) for links to Sections 604 of the FCRA and 1786.12 of CA Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act for more information.
Q: Do I need to give the applicant something?
A: Federal law and some states require that an applicant be given written notification before you run a background check.
See our Start-Up Kit for samples of the required documents and for more information.
Q: Does the applicant need to sign something?
A: Federal law and some states require that an applicant give written authorization before you run a background check.
See our Start-Up Kit for samples of the required documents and for more information.
Q: Can I run a background check without telling the employee?
A: While most laws require that an applicant be notified about a background check,
federal law allows an exemption when investigating suspected wrong-doing by an employee.
You should consult with an attorney for guidance in your specific situation.
Q: Can I track results online?
A: Yes. We will provide you with a username and password,
allowing access to our online client portal.
You will then be able to track results as they come in.
Q: How do I get results?
A: Most reports are available online.
We can arrange alternative methods of getting your reports if you desire.
Q: How soon can I get results?
A: You can track results online as soon as they have been quality-checked for accuracy and completeness.
Results usually begin to be available within a day.
Q: Do you do California Fingerprints?
A: No. You need to get fingerprints from a LiveScan vendor.
For more information about California Fingerprints, see
The California Criminal Fingerprint System.
Q: What can I do to speed up my order?
A: The best thing you can do to expedite your order is to fill out all documentation completely and legibly and see that your applicants do the same.
Not only will this increase the speed with which results are received,
but it will also help ensure that the most accurate results possible are obtained.
For more, see Need to Speed Up Your Background Checks? Also, see Proper Employment Background Checks: Patience Now Means Accuracy and Completeness Later
Q: Why do reports sometimes take longer than I expect?
A: The most common reason for Background Check delay is carelessness
in filling out the Employee Background Check Request Form, the Applicant Authorization and Release Form,
and the Job Application.
For more, see Why Do Some Background Checks Take Longer than I Expect?
Q: Are there ever mistakes in background checks?
A: Yes! The information in a background check was created, compiled, maintained, searched, and reported by fallible individuals.
Consequently, it is important to give the applicant the opportunity to review negative information.
If the applicant identifies information in a report that is incomplete or inaccurate, we will re-investigate and furnish the required reports, notifications, etc., at no further charge.
Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of Criminal History Databases?
A: There are no true national Criminal History Record repositories or databases.
The available databases are compiled from a variety of sources, notoriously incomplete, and out of date.
However, databases can be fast, powerful research tools that cover a larger geographical area.
When we use a criminal database as a research tool, we verify any database "hits" with the proper local jurisdiction.
For more information, see Criminal Database Limitations and
'Nationwide' Criminal Database Check.
Q: Does A Matter of Fact maintain a Criminal History, Employment History, or Education History Database?
A: No! The only files we maintain are archived copies of background check files as required by law.
No information from a prior background check is used in a subsequent background check.
Each report is compiled separately from fresh research data.
Q: What are Thorough Background Check Web Badges and how do they benefit my business?
A: Thorough Background Check Web Badges are small graphics you place on your web page announcing to
job applicants, employees, investors, donors, and indeed the general public that you include thorough background checks in your hiring process.
The badge doubles as a link to We Conduct Thorough Background Checks,
describing the benefits to each of these groups for being involved with your organization.
For more information, see Thorough Background Check Badges.
Related Resources
- Employment Background Checks: What Do We Recommend?
- Applicant Background Check Resources
- Background Check Articles by Industry Sources
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