A Comparison Of Our Contractor Background Check Programs: Background Screening and Continuous Monitoring

Background Screening | March 17, 2023

At PlusOne Solutions, we offer contractor background check programs to meet your organization’s needs. Here, we discuss how they compare and how to choose the best program for your business.

Performing background checks on your contractors is necessary to keep your organization’s customers safe and your reputation intact. But what’s the difference between an initial and periodic background screening and continuous monitoring? PlusOne Solutions offers both of these services and we will share what makes them valuable assets to your organization. 

Background Screening

Conducting background checks is an important initial step toward protecting your business and customers. You need to know that your customers are in good hands while your contractor network is providing services on your behalf, and their risk of a potentially dangerous situation is mitigated. Our contractor background check programs are thoughtful and thorough. We comb databases and primary record sources, including national criminal databases, sex offender registries, and individual county courthouses.

Verification of Personal Information

When conducting a background screening, we aim to verify personally identifiable information, including any additional names or aliases, places of residence, and dates of birth. You need to know that the person we are looking into is who they say they are. Verifying this personal information allows us to dive deeper into their background. Any variations in this information can impact the results of the background screening, either by missing records or conducting checks on incomplete data.

Criminal History

When searching for an individual’s criminal history, we start with the areas surrounding their current residence, then investigate previous places of residence. We search the National Criminal Database for any activity that may have occurred outside an individual’s listed area of residence. Then we search the following databases and watch lists:

• Office of Foreign Assets of Control (OFAC)
• Arrest, warrant, and other criminal records
• Department of Justice Sex Offender List

Criminal Reporting Guidelines

With our background screenings, we are looking for each of the following records. 

• Convictions
• Non-convictions
• Dismissed cases or charges 
• Pending court dates
• Deferred adjudication
• Probation
• Mixed verdict

We do not always report on every one of the above types of records because some jurisdictions have reporting restrictions. Others may enforce the Ban the Box Legislation and Fair Chance Ordinances that limit the scope and type of records which can be reported. PlusOne Solutions will report only those records permissible by law.

Continuous Monitoring

As part of our contractor background check programs, we offer continuous criminal record monitoring of your contractors. This program goes above and beyond the periodic rechecks that some companies conduct after the initial background screening. A typical rescreen schedule is every two years. That’s a long time to go without knowing about the potential criminal activities of your contractors.

A Complement To Periodic Screenings

While we recommend conducting an in-depth background screening every two years, we also recommend adding continuous monitoring as an extra layer of security to protect your reputation and limit your liability. Our continuous criminal monitoring program will provide notice of an arrest, booking event, or incarceration within 24 hours. This knowledge gives our customers an extra layer of due diligence and provides a method of identifying potential behavior that can pose a risk to their business, customers, and reputation.

First-Year Case Study

Is this extra layer of protection worth it? Our continuous monitoring service has proven to be a critical asset to our customers. In our first year of offering this program, we reported over 550 criminal activity alerts on a network of more than 25,000 individuals, including criminal cases of kidnapping, domestic battery, robbery, assault, grand theft, and many others. Drug-related arrests and driving-related arrests were discovered as well.

PlusOne Solutions Has The Contractor Background Check Programs To Meet Your Needs

Whether you need a single background check, background checks every two years, continuous monitoring, or a comprehensive screening program made up of each service, our dedicated team at PlusOne Solutions is ready to assist you. Contact us for more information.

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.