Selecting the Right Background Screening Partner for Your Small Business

For many organizations, pre-employment background screening is a standard, integrated part of the hiring process. But for small to midsize businesses, funds, and budgets allocated to robust screening may be limited. 

Did you know that small to midsize businesses can actually benefit the most from efficient pre-employment background screening? Around 75% of small business employers have “hired the wrong fit” for a position, costing them anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. With constrained budgets and increased pressure to recruit and hire quickly, small businesses have a lot to consider when choosing the right background screening partner for their needs. 

To maximize your technology investment, small businesses like yours must prioritize a solution that can grow and adapt to your changing needs. We compiled our top five expert tips for selecting the right background screening solution for your small to midsize business. 

Tip #1: Evaluate Your Current and Future Screening Needs

Before you can evaluate potential background screening solutions, you must assess and understand your business’s unique needs. Background screening needs vary by several different factors including industry, position, business or hiring location, and your screening budget. 

For example, organizations hiring in the transportation or government contracting industries require different background checks and verifications than those hiring healthcare professionals. Or say you conduct more basic screening on all of your employees but require credit checks for individuals handling financial information and responsibilities. No matter what your needs are, you must find a background screening provider with those capabilities. 

To simplify the vetting process, consider conducting an internal needs analysis. Once you have identified your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and areas for improvement, you will be more equipped to evaluate potential solutions. 

These questions will help you quickly and efficiently conduct your internal needs analysis: 

• What is your current pre-employment screening process? Is it accurate and compliant? 
• How is your current screening solution performing (if applicable)? Does it offer accurate and compliant results?
• What type of checks does your organization need?
• How many background screens do you run in a year?
• Does your organization have a background screening policy? If so, what is it?
• What support do you need from additional departments? (IT, leadership, etc)
• What other HR tools and technologies are in your tech stack?

Tip 2: Prioritize Custom Screening Packages and Options

As a small business, you need to spend your money wisely and be agile about evaluating the success of initiatives, solutions, and investments. Background screening costs can feel intimidating when you don’t know what you are looking for. The right background screening provider for your organization will offer or build a customized screening package that fits your needs and budget. 

Consider background check providers that offer industry-specific screening packages and a-la-carte solutions such as drug testing, verifications, and I-9 services. By utilizing a customized, tailored solution, your small business can maximize its technology investment while offering a better candidate experience, reducing manual tasks, and improving overall efficiency. 

The right background screening provider will work alongside your organization to create a solution built for your unique needs. Avoid providers that require long-term contracts, minimum number of screens requirements, and annual commitments.  

Tip 3: Consider Integration Capabilities

Businesses often adopt new technology to address specific challenges they are trying to solve but fail to consider the compatibility of the solution with its existing tech infrastructure. This leads many organizations to create an unmanageable, inefficient tech stack. As a small to midsize business, you can’t afford to waste money on inefficient technology. 

The right background screening solution should seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack, creating a smoother screening experience, eliminating tedious, manual tasks, and improving overall efficiency. When evaluating potential providers, ask questions specific to their integration capabilities, such as:

• What talent acquisition providers do you currently integrate with? Can you provide documentation?
• What are your standard integrations with third-party providers?
• Do you offer support for web service API integrations that meet standard web logic?
• Do you provide integration toolkits for administrators?
• What type of support do you offer before, during, and after integration?
• Can your data be integrated into my existing systems?

These questions will help set your business up for success now and in the future. Verified First offers a one-click screening integration, enabling you to easily integrate background checks, drug testing, and more into the Team Engine platform! 

Tip 4: Only Trust PBSA-Certified and Accredited Solutions

Promoting employee and customer safety is crucial for small businesses, however, mitigating organizational risk is often an overlooked component of compliance and safety. For businesses of all sizes, background checks verify that candidates are capable and trustworthy to perform the duties of the job. However, background screening can also help protect your business’s assets and reputation. Small businesses must be mindful that their background check process is in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. 

Partnering with an accredited, PBSA-certified background screening solution will help you prioritize both safety and compliance. These providers will understand the applicable regulations and requirements for your business, and help you build a robust safety framework throughout the entire organization. 

To understand a background screening solution’s compliance framework and capabilities, ask the following questions: 

• How do you keep up with changing state and federal screening regulations?
• How do you protect applicant information?
• Do you conduct your background checks in real-time?

Tip 5: Look For Screening Partners, Not Providers

As a small business, a technology investment should be in more than just a solution or vendor. The key to efficient, complaint background screening is finding a partner - not just another provider. Your organization should prioritize finding a screening solution that will partner with you to accomplish and exceed your hiring needs. 

A background check partner keeps you and your business top of mind through onboarding, adoption, implementation, and beyond. The right partner will also provide top-notch customer service. This includes the ability to timely and effectively answer your questions and inquiries throughout every step of the process. 

Streamline Screening with Verified First and Team Engine

Evaluating HR tech solutions can be intimidating for organizations of every size. Selecting a background screening partner is a strategic and important business relationship, so take the time to evaluate and choose the provider that addresses your needs while making you feel supported and confident. Remember, the right screening partner will work alongside your organization to streamline your hiring process, promote efficiency, and improve your bottom line. 

Verified First revolutionized the background screening experience so organizations of all sizes could recruit and retain top talent without breaking the bank. Verified First seamlessly integrates with Team Engine so users can easily transform the hiring process from start to finish. Your business can take advantage of efficient background screening, drug testing, and more without ever having to leave your chosen HR tech stack.