Background Check Software

Scaling a business is not just exciting; it comes with high stakes. As your business expands, the pressure to hire qualified employees swiftly also increases. But such speedy hirings are linked with great risks, such as hiring someone who lies about their experience or has a criminal background. 

These issues can be avoided with background check software, which helps ensure quality hires and streamlines human resources (HR) processes. 

In this guide, we will help you choose the right background check software to help you hire faster and better. 

Background check software are digital tools that are designed for swift and reliable candidate screening as per Federal and State laws. These solutions help in verifying details like a candidate’s identity, employment history, criminal background, and qualifications. 

Using these software, organizations can ensure they are only hiring people who are the best for the role and will easily blend in with their company’s culture. 

Here are some key features that you should prioritize when choosing a background check software for your business: 

Comprehensive Screening Capabilities 

An ideal software for most organizations would be one that offers comprehensive screening capabilities. Instead of choosing one that only helps with criminal records, you should choose one that could help with employee history, education, identity verification, and credit reports. 

Seamless Integration With Existing Infrastructure 

Switching platforms and manually re-entering data is the last thing you would want your HR department to be doing after you’ve purchased the new software. That’s why you should make sure that the solution seamlessly integrates with your existing human resources information system (HRIS) or human capital management (HCM) systems. 

Strong Data Security Measures 

While screening candidates, you’ll have access to sensitive data like Social Security numbers (SSNs), applicants’ addresses, and contact numbers. To ensure this information doesn’t land in someone else’s hands, you should get software with strong security measures. Look for solutions that are SOC 2 Type II compliant, use encryption, and offer role-based permissions. 

Advanced Reporting And Data Analytics 

The more advanced the reporting capabilities of a software, the better. Choosing a platform that offers detailed insights into metrics like average turnaround times, hiring flows, and pass/fail trends will help you make data-backed decisions and drive efficiency.  

An Easy-To-Use Interface 

A difficult-to-use platform can result in missed details, longer adoption time, and increased errors. The best platform offers an intuitive user interface (UI), designed solely for the purpose of guiding users to where they want to go in the software. It helps HR professionals avoid confusion and speed up tasks. 

Compliance Management 

One mistake during the screening process can result in lawsuits and fines. The best background check software streamlines compliance by automating consent forms, implementing state-specific screening rules, and offering built-in dispute handling. 

Keep in mind these functionalities to ensure you buy the best background check software for your specific needs: 

Onboarding And Support 

The first step after buying software is to successfully implement it in your HR organization’s ecosystem. If this step doesn’t go well, most things will fall apart or won’t work as intended in the future. That’s why you should always check with the vendor to see if they provide a dedicated team to help clients implement the platform. You should also check if they have a responsive customer support team, as it will help you solve any issues you face after implementation. 

Workflow Customization 

Once you’ve integrated background check software into your system, you’ll have to make it fit your specific workflows. For that, you should analyze what tools it offers to seamlessly integrate with your current processes. 

Candidate Communication And Branding 

To use a screening software effectively, you’ll have to ask candidates for their information, and for that, in most cases, you’ll need to reach out to them. Choosing software that lets you customize the platform’s visuals like themes, colors, logos, will help increase the number of candidates who respond to your requests. 

Turnaround Times And SLA 

While smaller companies with limited hiring need might not need that fast of an SLA, larger companies and enterprise-level organizations do need faster turnaround times. So, if you have to run multiple background checks in a short period of time, you should definitely ask the vendor of their expected SLAs. 

Pricing And Cost Predictability 

A screening software shouldn’t be a burden on your business’s capital, nor should it have a pricing model that doesn’t align with your revenue model. That’s obvious that you should buy one that is in your budget, but you should also check their pricing model, as in if they offer a monthly, bi-annually, or yearly billing method. Whatever their model is, it should suit your income stream and cash flow to ensure you are never out of cash. 

• Reduced Risks Of Bad Hires: Helps identify red flags in candidates, preventing managers from making bad hiring decisions  
• Faster Hiring Decisions: Enables recruiting teams to speed up hiring with a seamless applicant screening process 
• Improved Compliance: Ensures companies stay compliant to local labor laws and avoid hefty penalties 
• Centralized Audit Trails: Provides a centralized space for storing all data, including and candidate history, which can be easily accessed during audits 

Organizations in different industries require unique features and tools for their needs. These are our picks for tools that are purpose-built for specific industries: 

Hospitality: Businesses in the hospitality industry need to hire people in multiple locations. Checkr is an HR software that offers tools specifically designed for the hospitality industry. It enables candidates to complete background check tasks using mobile devices, provides timely updates, and most importantly, create forms based on a candidate's location. 

Healthcare: Healthcare industry is very competitive, and institutions need to speed up their recruitment process to hire the best candidates. GoodHire, a background check and screening services provider, helps organizations screen candidates at a fast pace with its extensive record. Employers can also order bulk screening to further speed up their processes. 

Education: Schools, colleges, and universities must ensure a safe and comfortable environment for students. This starts by hiring the right people on the campus. HireRight helps institutions ensure compliance by providing global screening solutions, including due diligence, criminal background checks, and verification services.