ESR is NAPBS Accredited for ScreeningESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) for employee screening background checks.
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ESR Wrote the Book on Screening - 'The Safe Hiring Manual'Employment Screening Resources provides comprehensive background check resources, technology, legal compliance, service, turnaround time, and accuracy. Schedule a demo now!
Employment Screening Resources (ESR) is the firm that literally wrote the book on background screening with "The Safe Hiring Manual" by ESR founder and President Lester Rosen. ESR was rated the top U.S. employment screening firm in the first independent study of the industry. ESR is formally recognized as Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) Accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) by successfully proving compliance with the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP). By choosing an accredited firm like ESR, employers know they have selected a background screening firm that meets the highest industry standards.
Some employers make the mistake of believing that all background screening is done the same way, so that selection ends up depending upon price. Unfortunately, employers who make the decision based upon price alone can find out the hard way that they did not get what they thought they were paying for. That is because there are ways for background firms to cut costs that leave employers vulnerable. For example, some firms use "at-home" operators or send confidential data to India for processing in order to save money resulting in data privacy and quality being put at substantial risk. Other firms cut corners by restricting how far back they conduct criminal searches. Other firms save money by hiring the cheapest possible labor to process crucial information, whereas ESR has every staff member undergo a rigorous 30 hour online educational course and weekly training sessions.
ESR offers the following chart Questions to Ask a Pre-Employment Screening Firm to help employers identify quality background firms offering REAL Background Checks and to avoid firms offering a "knock-off service" where the employer is not receiving the professional services they should be getting. Employers need to be aware of the difference between firms that are mere data vendors and a firm like Employment Screening Resources that offers professional services as a Safe Hiring Partner (SHP).
Questions to Ask a Pre-Employment Background Screening Firm:
| Question | ESR | Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Is your background screening firm accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) for successfully proving compliance with the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP)? | YES | ||
| 2. Does your background screening firm have legal staff and help desk with expertise on pre-employment screening and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and also provide written documentation and resources on safe hiring, due diligence, and legal compliance issues? | YES | ||
| 3. Does your background screening firm have state of the art web-based system that requires NO SOFTWARE and provides state of the art security and data privacy protection? | YES | ||
| 4. Is exact information about your applicants available on the web 24/7, including real time status complete with notes? | YES | ||
| 5. Does your background screening system track the real-time status of every search so that nothing falls through the cracks? | YES | ||
| 6. Can your background screening firm archive all records so an employer can have paperless systems? | YES | ||
| 7. Does your background screening firm operate on a platform that is HR-XML certified and can be integrated seamlessly into HRIS and ATS systems? | YES | ||
| 8. Can your background screening firm provide control features so an employer can set-up multiple sub-accounts, so that the Administrator can view all accounts, but each sub-account can only view their own reports? | YES | ||
| 9. Is all work done in the USA to protect privacy and control quality -- i.e., nothing sent offshore to India or other "cheaper places" that puts data privacy and quality control at risk? | YES | ||
| 10. Are all employment and education checks conducted by professionals in a controlled, call center type environment, so that nothing is sent to cheaper at-home workers, where data privacy and the quality of work is at risk | YES | ||
| 11. Are all employees with your background screening firm subject to an intensive training when they are hired, and attend documented training weekly | YES | ||
| 12. For employment verifications, are anti-fraud procedures in place, such as verifications of all past employer phone numbers instead of relying upon an applicant supplied number? | YES | ||
| 13. For Education verifications, are steps taken to verify if a college or university is accredited and to watch out for Diploma Mills? | YES | ||
| 14. Do you have a policy of NO Set-up fee/no monthly obligations? (Credit reports do require an on-site inspection and a third party fee to an agency/-Small Business Division does require a onetime set-up fee) | YES | ||
| 15. Do you offer 24/7 ordering online that gives an employer total control over the ordering process and speeds up turnaround time? | YES | ||
| 16. Do you offer flexible options to receive reports (fax, e-mail, or on-line) ? | YES | ||
| 17. Are your background screening reports easy to read, with important information summarized at the top for ease of use? | YES | ||
| 18. Are criminal searches conducted using the most accurate means which normally means onsite (no cheap database substitutes)? | YES | ||
| 19. Do you search for both felonies and misdemeanors when available? | YES | ||
| 20. When a criminal hit is reported, does knowledgeable person in your background screening firm report the findings (as opposed to having the information entered by some unknown court researcher)? | YES | ||
| 21. When there is a criminal hit, are you proactive in calling the client to advise them there is a potential problem? | YES | ||
| 22. Does your background screening firm take measures to ensure that ALL legal and relevant criminal records are searched, as opposed to just going back "seven" years, which can leave an employer exposed? | YES | ||
| 23. Do you accurately describe the pros and cons of criminal databases, and ensure clients are informed that databases are research tools only and are subject to false negatives and false positives? | YES | ||
| 24. If a client orders a "multi-jurisdictional" database, do you re-verify any criminal "hit" at the courthouse for maximum accuracy, instead of relying on merely notifying the applicant of a potential hit? | YES | ||
| 25. Do you provide clients with all necessary FCRA forms and procedures? | YES | ||
| 26. Do you notify your clients of changes in the FCRA and other applicable laws? | YES | ||
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27. Is a member of your background screening firm a nationally recognized writer and speaker on safe hiring and the FCRA? |
YES | ||
| 28. Does the President of your background screening firm have an open door policy for any customer issues or questions? | YES | ||
| 29. Is your average turnaround time 72 hours less? | YES | ||
| 30. If there is a delay for reasons that are out of your control, do you notify us online with in-depth notes and the ETA? | YES | ||
| 31. Does your background screening firm have large clients with nationally recognized names? | YES | ||
| 32. Do you partner with leading web sites and HR service providers? | YES | ||
| 33. Regarding customer service, will there be someone assigned to our account and familiar with our needs? | YES | ||
| 34. Does your background screening firm provide Free training programs? | YES | ||
| 35. Do you offer ordering options such as customized packages or individual searches and competitive pricing? | YES | ||
| 36. Do you provide a guide or interactive US map showing the significant rules for all 50 states when it comes to screening? | YES | ||
| 37. Has your background screening firm published a definitive book on background checks and safe hiring? | YES | ||
| 38. Does your background screening firm have extensive international capabilities? | YES | ||
| 39. Is your background screening firm "Safe Harbor" certified to perform screenings in the EU? | YES | ||
| 40. Are you a member of the background screening trade association - National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) - and does your firm actively participate and support professionalism in the screening industry? | YES |
» For an article by ESR on How to Select a Background Screening Firm
» For a sample Request for Proposal (RFP) to a screening firm
» Sample 22 question yearly due diligence audit for a background firm
DANGER: Employer should very carefully consider the dangers of using a screening firm that utilizes at home operators for domestic verifications or sends your data off-shore for processing. Such a practice puts the employer at risk. Do you want your job applicant's personal and private information spread out in living rooms, kitchen tables and dorms across America, or available to off-shore operator beyond the reach of US privacy laws, not to mention the lack of quality control and standards. Employers are strongly advised to avoid the use of screening firms who are willing to sacrifice quality and privacy just to increase their profits at your expense.
NOTE: ESR does NOT send U. S. applicant information outside of the U.S. for processing. Once data leaves the U.S., the data is beyond the reach of U.S. privacy laws and there is no meaningful privacy protections. ESR believes that firms that send data outside the U.S. put applicants and employers at great risk, for no other reason then to make a little more money. In some countries, it is a well known fact that U.S. identities are stolen and used for identity theft. As a practical matter, someone in the U.S. has no ability to hire a lawyer in a foreign country to pursue legal action or contact a foreign police authority to get any action taken. The only exception is where ESR is asked to perform an international verification and the information resides outside of the U.S. Even in that situation, ESR goes to great length to protect applicant data. by going directly to the school or employer. If it is necessary to have a researcher do research in a foreign country, ESR only releases the minimum information absolutely necessary. Countries where a researcher may be needed are identified as Red Zone Countries by ESR.
ESR strongly advises all employers to ask a screening firm if they send data outside of the U.S. and to seriously consider the dangers to their hiring processes and to their applicants.
