Whether you are looking for a tenant to rent out your property to, an employee to fill out a job position, or looking to give someone a loan, it is important to first conduct a thorough background check on them to ensure that you obtain all the relevant information that you need to help you make an informed decision.
A background check is a way of examining someone’s character, their background, financial and criminal history using public data generated automatically from data depositories or obtained through third part records maintained by private companies, the state, or federal governments. Simply put, a background check is a process an institution or an individual uses to verify that a person is whom they claim to be.
What is a Background Check Authorization Form?
A background check authorization form is a consent form given by the person agreeing to have their information looked-up by the requesting party. The form is meant to authorize the requesting party to conduct the type of check they are requesting, such as credit or criminal background checks. A comprehensive background check can provide you with valuable insight that you may have otherwise never known, which can help you make an informed decision about the candidate.
Background Check Policy and Procedure
Although background check policies and procedures may differ from state to state, the commonly used procedure includes:
Social Security Verification: The Social security number of the candidate is checked to determine whether it is valid or not. This may include checking their date of birth and former addresses, especially if they are looking to lease a property.
Prior Employment Verification: This is done to confirm that the applicant was indeed an employee of the companies they have listed, including how long they’ve worked at the companies and the position they held during their tenure. Other information obtained during the employment verification may include the candidate’s ratings, their reason for departure, and their eligibility to be rehired.
Personal and Professional References: When conducting the personal and professional reference verification, all the listed contacts are contacted to verify the information that is included in your resume or confirm that they indeed know you. They may be asked to describe the candidate and how long they’ve known them for.
Educational Verification: Educational verification is usually done to confirm that the candidate went to the educational institutions that they have listed in their resumes and that they obtained the grades they have listed. Information verified during this phase includes the school that the candidate attended, the grades/certification they were awarded, and their study duration.
Criminal history: This is done to verify if the candidate has ever been convicted, why they were convicted, and if they have ever been put under probation. As an employer, this is usually very important as you would not want to hire a child molester, for instance, and have them working in a kindergarten full of children.
Types of Background Checks
There are various types of background checks that are used for different situations. Here are some common types of background checks and what they are used for:
Employment Background Checks
This type of background check is usually conducted by employers to avoid hiring someone who may become a liability or pose a threat to the workplace. Employment background checks can be done when someone applies for a position and can also be done any time the employer feels like it is necessary.
Criminal Background Checks
This background check is usually done when one is looking to find out more about a candidate’s criminal background, i.e., their major criminal activity, e.g., felony convictions, fraud, sex crimes, violence, embezzlements, etc. before making a decision on whether to hire them, adopt them, enlist them in the military, etc.
Universal Background Checks
A universal background check is usually conducted when someone is looking to purchase firearms from a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer. The seller must first conduct a universal background check via the NICS- National Instant Background Check System to determine if the candidate is eligible to hold or purchase a firearm.
OIG Background Checks
Also referred to as the sanction list, the OIG background check is usually mandated by the Social Security Act, the Office of Inspector General at the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The department holds a list of all excluded individuals and entities who have committed healthcare crimes. Employers usually conduct this type of background check to ensure that anyone convicted of such crimes is not hired to work in any federally-funded healthcare programs.
E-Verify Background Checks
Employers use this type of electronic verification to verify their potential employees’ identities. E-Verification is an online check which compares information from various forms that employees are usually required to fill out with government records to confirm that they are authorized to work in the United States.
Benefits of Background Check Authorization Form
There are several benefits of a background check authorization form, including:
- Background checks help improve the quality of hire: By knowing a candidate’s background, employers can be able to make informed decisions on whom to hire.
- Background checks help reduce negligent hiring risks: negligent hiring can lead to lawsuits, especially if the candidate hired fails to do certain tasks or causes an injury since they are not qualified for the job.
- Background checks ensure that the candidate is hired or allowed to lease a property is responsible. By contacting their previous employers or landlords, you will be able to find out more about the candidate, thereby helping you make an informed decision on whether to hire them or lease the property to them.
- Background checks help increase the level of security: By knowing a candidate’s criminal history, you can easily determine if they are a potential threat to your organization. For instance, you wouldn’t want to hire a money launderer and have them working in your bank where they may end up using their skills.
How Can Employers Request Consent for Background Check?
As an employer, you first need consent from the potential employee before conducting a background check on them. If they accept your request to conduct the background check, here are some of the information that you should ask them to provide you with:
- Their official name as listed in their birth certificates
- Their date of birth
- Their official address
- Their Social Security Number (SSN)
- Their driver’s license
- And a copy of their ID card
Background Check Authorization Forms & Templates
If you are looking to conduct a background check on your potential tenants, employees, or for any other reason, we recommend downloading our templates. Browse through both our free and premium templates and choose one that best fits your situation. Download, and customize them to you fit your specific need, and you are good to go.
FAQs
There are various reasons why one may want to conduct a background check. The checks can help assure landlords and employers that the person they are looking to hire or allow to rent their property is responsible. It can also help the employers find the right candidates to fill out a position and offer them some level of security in knowing that the candidate they have chosen doesn’t have any criminal history or is not a potential threat to their organization. Nonetheless, as an employer, you still have to ask for their consent before conducting a background check to ensure that you are in line with your state laws and not invading their privacy.