Conducting background checks on prospective employees is vital and can give an employer a lot of insight into the person’s character before deciding on hiring them or not.

The period is dependent on the type of background the employer requires and other circumstances, but generally, the process takes anything from 1-5 days in the majority of cases. It is essential to be thorough and get accurate information to avoid risk at a later stage and to ensure that the employer is hiring someone that will reflect the value of the company.

There are several aspects relating to a pre-employment background check and depending on the company, job responsibilities and the Industry the following checks may be required:

• Employment references

• Criminal background check

• Education verification

• Employment verification

• Drug testing and/or media research

• Driving record

All these factors are playing a vital role during the process, and it takes time to have them done.

There is not always a reliable database which is centralised containing criminal records. When the court mandates the research to be conducted by a court clerk, it can delay the background check UK process significantly, and there is not a reliable alternative. Delays can also occur in the event of records not found. The most effective way of conducting criminal background checks is to research county courts in the areas where the individual was residing throughout their adult life.

With resume verifications, the results can be obtained within 1-3 days, unless the previous employer is not responding to the request timeously. 

School verifications can be delayed if the request is made during holidays when the schools are closed, and there is not enough staff to respond to the request immediately.

It is of vital importance to take into consideration that even individuals that don’t have anything to hide may feel a tad anxious about the process, particularly when there are delays. Therefore, it is imperative to be transparent. It will be highly advantageous to you to make the process a little easier on them by keeping them in the loop and let them know of the process involved to ensure that the information you receive is up to date and accurate. You don’t want to make a prospective employee lose interest or slip away due to unfavourable candidate experience.

1. When you hire a company to do background checks on your behalf, make sure they keep you updated and that they have taken all the steps to ensure the quickest possible outcome.

2. If anything is found in the criminal background or credit check that is preventing the employee from being hired, the employer is legally bound to notify them. The employee will then have the option to dispute it.

3. Background checks can be a tedious and frustrating endeavour to take on, but they are a vital part of the hiring process.