The cost of researching, hiring, and training is very high for some companies. Businesses are more technical, more precise, and farther-reaching than ever before. Therefore, taking a chance on an employee who has not been researched has the potential to be a huge mistake. As a result, background checks are becoming more popular for this very reason. Our experts at Soteria Screening Laboratory offer you some advice on the 5 most common misconceptions about criminal background checks.

#1 Only large companies do background checks

All companies should do a criminal background check on their potential employees, especially if an employee will be in a position that can affect your financial standing. Many small businesses only run background checks on their management-level hires. They should consider checking the production line also. A major malfunction on the line will certainly affect your financial standing.

#2 All companies provide the same information. Use the cheapest one.

All background checks on employees are not the same. Do your research and find the company that offers the most information for your money. Be sure they also get you valid information quickly. A 2 to 3 week turnaround time may be too long for your hiring needs. Soteria Screening offers:

• Multi-state and Single state database searches
• County Criminal history searches
• Sex Offender searches
• Motor Vehicle Reports
• Social Security validation
• Education and previous employment verifications
• Social Media Searches
• International screening

The background check on employees is designed by the employer to include the areas they want to be researched. Some companies have a standard background search designed which includes limited areas of research. Thanks to a partnership with National Crime Search, Soteria Screening can run background searches for specific classes of people including:

• Healthcare Industry
• Tenant Screening
• Volunteer Screening

#3 The report shows the applicant you want to hire has a criminal record. He says that is not true. What do you do now?

Some employers automatically withdraw any employment offer if the criminal background search comes back with an infraction. It is possible to get incorrect results, even from a reputable company. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) states the employee has the right to question the findings if he states he did not do what the report states.

If you want to hire this applicant, it might be worth being patient to allow the applicant to get this cleared. Even if the applicant has an infraction on his background check on employees, will it have any effect on the position you are offering? The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) advises employers to only consider a potential hires criminal record if the nature of the offense is relevant to the position theyre applying for.

#4 Driving Record & Credit Report-Should you consider these when hiring?

Most background checks on employees can include their credit check and driving record. You should consider the driving record only if the applicant is applying for a delivery job with your company. The credit report may give you an idea of how personal finances have been handled. If the applicant will have any financial control that might be pertinent.

#5 Should I get social media reports?

Some people are putting their entire lives on social media. The question is, do you really need to know everything about your applicant? You may want to have your background check company do a social media review but limit reported information. You only need to know if there is racism, bigotry, stalking, excessive anger, and these types of issues. Soteria Screening Labs can do a social media review for you. They will look at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat, Google+, and YouTube.

The experts at Soteria Screening Labs advise employers to design the background check for employees that works for you and your business. Decide what is important and get the answers you need.