3 Things To Look For From Contractor Background Check Companies

Background Screening | January 3, 2023

In service contract relationships, your organization should prioritize safety measures for your customers and be focused on risk mitigation. Working with experienced contractor background check companies like PlusOne can help reduce operational or reputational damage.

Thorough identity verification and background searches are a critical part of any contractor risk management program, as well as the ongoing monitoring of individual contractors once integrated as a part of your service network.

While you may be tempted to try and conduct your own background checks for contractors in-house, this is not recommended – for a myriad of reasons. Not only is it time-consuming to do a complete and thorough background check, but there are numerous resources that you will need access to, and complex laws that apply to the background check process. Having a professional and industry-experienced screening partner with access to the right databases and resources will save you time and money.

Read below for 3 things to look for from contractor background check companies:

They practice thorough identity verification for accurate contractor background check results

To ensure a complete contractor background check, the identifiers of the individual being screened must be fully accurate. These identifiers include the name(s), date of birth and address(es) of the individual. At PlusOne Solutions, we conduct a Person/Identity Search, which is called an SSN trace.

This verification step  verifies the identity of an individual by searching hundreds of sources such as utility bill records, licensing and registration data, voter registration data, USPS address forwarding details, and other similar databases. The search returns all associated names and address history details for the individual which are then used as leads for additional searches conducted. Performing a criminal background check using inaccurate, incomplete or fraudulent information makes the entire background check useless to your organization.

To learn more about this topic, read our article on the identification process.

They conduct Criminal and Driver Record Searches to understand if the individual poses a risk

Criminal, sex offender, and driving records are among the most common components of background checks that are focused on safety and risk mitigation. Protecting customers requires making sure contractors don’t pose a threat. If their job involves driving, a driver record search is necessary. However, if they are only working on vehicles with another licensed driver and not responsible for driving, this search may not be necessary. Below, we look a bit more closely at the recommended scope for each of these searches and why they are deemed as best practices for a contractor background check.

• County Criminal Record searches use the contractor’s name(s), date of birth, and address information to determine county jurisdiction or jurisdictions to be searched. Searches are usually for felony and misdemeanor criminal records held at the central court. This criminal search is the most comprehensive and is recommended in every screening package. Normally seven years of residential address history is used to determine the relevant jurisdictions to search.
• Federal Criminal Record searches screen for federal crimes  including violations of securities, mail, tax, and immigration laws, as well as weapons and drug crimes. Since federal jurisdictions are much larger than counties, searching in at least the current residential jurisdiction is a good choice for many organizations.
• National Criminal Database searches are broad searches performed against a large database of the available county and state criminal information, the state reported sex offender records as well as fugitive, Department of Corrections, US and international government databases covering numerous watches and sanctions listings.
• Sex Offender Registry searches include verification of any identified records with the US Department of Justice, National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW). Sex Offender Registry searches only report the subject’s registration as a Registered Sex Offender and may not give details as to why they are listed. For any contractor working without supervision and off-premise situations, a sex offender registry search is often highly recommended.
• Driving Record searches use the driver’s license number and state of issue to search the Department of Motor Vehicle records in the state of issuance. Using this information, PlusOne Solutions can check DMV records for driving status and history, including license class, citations, accidents, suspensions, restrictions, and current license status.
• They offer Continuous Criminal Record Monitoring after the initial background check. While a comprehensive contractor background check is valuable at the beginning of a contract, continuous monitoring provides an ongoing method of making sure risk is managed and mitigated throughout the contracted engagement. Continuous monitoring from PlusOne Solutions reviews criminal records on an individual that may flag safety concerns. Continuous monitoring will usually provide notice within 24 hours of the event and can fill the gap between more thorough periodic background screenings.

To Summarize

It’s not enough to just share your organization’s expectations with your service network. A proper program from contractor background check companies will include working with a compliance partner who will report compliance rates across the network, versus relying on contractors to self-certify. This ‘honor code’ is unfortunately common and exposes your organization to potential risks.

Contact PlusOne Solutions to learn more about how our full-service tracking system and proactive approach can help you achieve higher levels of compliance and reduced risk in your contractor network.

Contents are provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Users are reminded to seek legal counsel with respect to their obligations and use of PlusOne Solutions services.

About PlusOne Solutions

PlusOne Solutions has been an industry leader in the risk management field by specializing in compliance programs that meet the complex challenges of geographically dispersed contractors, vendors, and employee networks. PlusOne Solutions protects companies from possible financial, legal, and reputational risks associated with contractor and vendor relationships while creating safer work environments. To learn more, visit https://www.PlusOneSolutions.net.