FAQ

Background Check Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why conduct a background check for employment screening?

A: Resumes rarely tell the whole story. Just consider this statistic: Nearly 67% of the job applications and resumes of unscreened employees contain misrepresentations. By conducting employment screening, you can safeguard your company from the risks associated with hiring untrustworthy employees. Besides, by having a screening policy in place, you will encourage job applicants to be more forthcoming and honest on their resumes and in applications.

Q: What is negligent hiring?

A: Over two million crimes are committed in the workplace annually. If an employee harms someone on the job, your business can be held liable for negligent hiring. What’s more is that companies typically lose about 79% of these lawsuits, which cost an average of $1 million, but can be upwards of $40 million.

Q: What screening services do you offer?

A: ESS provides clients with a full menu of screening services to handle a variety of screening needs, including:

• Drug Testing
• E-Verify
• Social Security Number Verification
• Criminal Records Search by County
• National Criminal Database Search
• Federal Criminal Records Search
• Drug Screening
• Registered Sex Offender Search
• DMV Department of Motor Vehicles Drivers License History
• Office of the Inspector General (OIG) – Exclusion List Search
• Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) – E-MED Search on Restricted, Terminated or Excluded Individuals or Entities
• Education Verification
• Employment Verification
• Reference Verification
• Professional License Verification
• Bankruptcy Search
• Employment Credit Check

Q: How will I receive screening reports and information?

A: Results are available on our Secure Applicant Tracking System (SATS) website, which you can access online, 24/7. There is no software or upgrades to buy; it’s a free website offered to our clients. In addition, we can fully integrate your system with ours to eliminate any duplicate data entry.

As always, should you have any questions about a report or detail, we’re just a phone call away. A live representative will answer your call, not an automated service.

Q: What type of screening should our company do for our employees?

A: At ESS, we like to use the analogy of securing your home. If you lock your front door and leave a window open, is your home totally secure? No. If you lock your doors and all your windows, your home is now more secure, but not completely secure. Now add an alarm system and your home will be far more secure.

ESS advises its clients to determine the level of security they are seeking for a particular position. While you might want to check an applicant’s driving history, if that employee is not going to be driving for employment-related purposes, then it’s a waste of your resources.

At ESS, we will conduct a needs analysis to identify screening gaps and help you to determine the most appropriate and cost-effective solution for your applicants.

Q: Is Employment Screening Services compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)?

A: ESS LLC is considered a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) and therefore is mandated by the FCRA to comply with all FCRA guidelines, rules and regulations. Visit our “Compliance” page for more on the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Once you become a client of ESS, you will be able to log in and obtain summaries of the FCRA for your applicants free of charge.

Q: How long does it take to complete a background check order?

A: Our clients have come to expect completed reports within 24 to 72 hours. Sometimes delays can happen that ESS cannot control. Most of the locations we need to obtain records from are closed on holidays. In addition, we have to request copies of certain records from the governmental agency responsible for maintaining them and are at their mercy.

Q: Is ESS staffed with qualified people that understand the court system?

A: ESS has a total of 30 years of law enforcement experience to draw from within our company. We are fully staffed and take a great deal of pride in serving our clients. Our clients consider ESS their Professional Service Provider. References are available upon request.

Q: Does ESS charge monthly minimum fees or setup fees?

A: No. ESS believes every business organization should screen their applicants large, medium or small. Therefore we do not penalize a smaller organization based on volume.

Q: How long does it take to set up an account with ESS?

A: ESS can usually set up an account for your organization within two business days. The reason is to protect your company and ESS.

When setting up an account, ESS has to ensure your organization is protected and in compliance with state and federal law. This is an added benefit when you partner with us. There are forms you will need to provide your applicants to make sure you comply with the FCRA. This is just one step ESS takes to make sure you are protected. If a background check screening company tells you “Don’t worry, we can get you started right away,” be cautious and make sure your company is protected.

Q: Does ESS use database searches?

A: ESS does offer a database search; however, it is only used as a supplement to an in-person county search. Database searches do have their place, but the information provided by a database search is nothing more than a clearinghouse of information sold to a company and made accessible for a fee. Database searches are not a complete accurate search.

Q: Is screening done within the United States to protect quality control and privacy?

A: All of our screening is done in the United States of America to protect against foreign privacy laws. The only exception to this is when a client orders a Canadian criminal records search. ESS has to send this request to the Canadian government to process the order.