Background Checks – DIY or Professional CRA?

When looking for ways to cut expenses, many businesses look first to their vendor invoices. Which services can be brought in-house, postponed or maybe even eliminated? It is especially tempting to DIY if you think you can save time as well as money.

If you have a large HR department, one of the vendors you may consider discarding is the service you use to do background checks. Maybe you have someone on your HR team that is qualified for this task or perhaps you decide that you could go without background checks for your hires. Most small to medium companies do not have an extensive HR team and typically has no one with the experience to do comprehensive background checks.  It is common to have a one or two person department that is already stretched thin.

Okay, so not too practical to entirely bring background checks in-house

And it’s not a good idea to remove background screening from your hiring policy. The next thought might be to use an online DIY background screening site to handle your new hires. But wait, are you ignoring the resources it will consume, the liability to your company and how it will affect your hiring decisions?

With a plethora of available options for choosing the DIY route, it can be very tempting. But few DIY sites have the same sources that a professional CRA (Credit Reporting Agency) uses. A qualified, professional CRA will have in-person representatives to physically access records in different jurisdictions instead of relying on only online resources the way many DIY background screening sites do. And a professional CRA will have knowledgeable staff that know how to make sense of what they find from a variety of sources. Oftentimes, what is online may be outdated, inaccurate or not even the correct identity.

If you are expecting to save time by going DIY, think again

Not only will you spend a lot of time compiling information from multiple sources, but also trying to understand it all, especially if the “facts” are conflicting or confusing. In addition, the liability involved for mistaken identity or erroneous information in your background checks could cost you in more ways than one. Litigation is always a concern, along with not making the most informed hiring decision, but you also run the risk of losing a great candidate from fumbling the process.

A qualified CRA can really cut through the confusion with your background screening process.  FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) regulations requirements helps your company stay in compliance with your background checks. And as far as cost, if you really compare the services and prices side-by-side, a qualified CRA is going to be a cost effective way to get the accurate information you need for your company. It’s important to look at your options apples-to-apples.

Only you can decide what you need for your company’s background screening

If your purpose is to get the most accurate information, stay in compliance, protect your company from litigation, and make informed hiring decisions, choosing a CRA is a great step to help you meet these goals. You don’t have to give up the convenience of ordering your background checks online, but choose a CRA that gives full service with support that is just a phone call away.