How to Handle Background Checks for Temporary Employees

HR Question:

We had a fabulous individual working for us through a temporary agency. We decided to hire the individual and ran them through our process, including conducting a background check. The results were shocking – we thought the temporary agency had already verified their background. How should I handle background checks for temporary employees going forward to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

HR Answer:

Many companies treat temporary employees differently when it comes to background checks and only realize it when it’s too late – when they try to hire the individual. The staffing company said they ran a “background check” before they placed the individual with you. However, when you compare the results of your own verification versus the staffing company’s, it hits you: If you had run your own background check first, instead of relying on the staffing company’s, you would never have considered the individual in the first place. So, now what do you do?

Unfortunately, this situation is all too common. Many employers allow temporary workers into their organization without knowing anything about the “background check” the staffing company performed before those individuals started working for their organization.

Did they only run a database search? Maybe they just entered the employee’s name in a local county records website or simply Googled the person. Or, even more disturbing, maybe they didn’t research the person’s background at all!

The term “background check” is very broad. When working with temporary employees, it is best practice to confirm that your staffing company is running quality courthouse background research before you let them place temporary personnel with your organization.

Background Check Tips for Temporary Employees:

1. Connect with your attorney to discuss whether or not you should include background check requirements in your Master Service Agreement (MSA), as well as how they are to be conducted. Many times that might include the last seven years of residence, county, state, social security number, aliases/previous last names, etc. You may want to consider using a third party rather than an internal database search.
2. Ask to see the reports for individuals who have a criminal record. It is a good HR practice to apply your evaluation approach consistently to both temporary and permanent employees.
3. Consider including county criminal research. Many organizations have found county research to be a helpful source in finding if a felony or misdemeanor charge exists for an individual, and it can help to support HR Compliance with the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
4. Don’t be fooled by a “federal” search. This check certainly has its value, however, it can be misleading. While it may sound all-encompassing, it only includes federal crimes. Pre-employment screening companies have found the majority of crimes committed are state crimes. Therefore, most people with a criminal past would come back clean on a federal search.

Managing the hiring process can be tricky. If you currently run pre-employment screenings before you bring someone on board, you already understand the importance of this verification process. To help protect your organization and your employees, follow the best practice of having employees from staffing companies meet the same expectations as direct hires.

A special thank you to Matt Messersmith, President/CEO, Signet Screening, and Amy Turner, Senior HR Business Advisor, for sharing their expertise in this HR Question of the Week.

Does the thought of hiring someone make your head spin? Full-time, temporary, temp-to-perm, intern…pre-employment assessments, references, background checks, drug screens – we can help you manage it all. Whether you need a complete recruitment solution or just help with pieces of the process, Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can assist you. Visit our Recruitment page to learn how we can provide you with top-notch recruitment solutions.