作为雇主，您已经看到了员工背景筛查的好处。它可以帮助您做出明智的招聘决策并为您的组织管理招聘风险。 

但对于应聘者而言，就业背景调查的前景可能会令人担忧、沮丧甚至困惑。候选人可能不了解背景调查涉及的内容、他们的权利，或者背景调查产生的信息如何影响他们的就业机会。

根据候选人对背景调查的了解或他们过去与其他雇主的经历，他们可能很难在贵公司接受背景调查。但是，通过采取有意识的步骤来澄清背景筛选过程，您可以让候选人了解情况并帮助他们成功地通过筛选过程。

如何揭开员工背景筛选过程的神秘面纱

尽管最近 PBSA 雇主调查显示95% 的雇主使用背景筛选，但并非所有公司都会筛选所有候选人。因此，您可能仍然会遇到从未通过背景调查过程的候选人。即使是以前有过经验的人，也可能对这个过程以及它将如何影响他们未来的就业前景有一些误解。 

例如，候选人可能对以下内容感到困惑：

• 员工背景调查包括什么

• 完成背景调查需要多长时间

• 背景调查有多远

• 药物测试中包括哪些药物，以及如何解释药物筛选结果

• 如果未来雇主 认为他们过去的某些事情有风险，会发生什么

不要因为不了解员工背景筛选而失去优秀的候选人，而是寻找机会澄清候选人的担忧，并为他们提供自信地处理筛选过程所需的信息。采取以下行动来揭开背景调查的神秘面纱，并为候选人提供一些急需的幕后透明度。


进行审计是评估整个背景筛选计划的最佳方式。不知道从哪里开始？我们可以提供帮助>>>

1. 在面试过程开始时对你的筛选过程保持透明。

正如任何参与过求职的人都可以证明的那样，在漫长的面试过程结束时遇到惊喜可能会令人沮丧，尤其是在似乎即将收到报价的情况下。如果你在过程中等待太晚才添加大量新的面试官或告诉候选人他们不知道存在的背景调查过程，你不仅会损害候选人的体验，而且可能会让候选人逃跑以寻求其他机会. 


不要等到你提出要约才让候选人知道他们将被要求接受背景调查。相反，要清楚地提前解释这个过程，这样就不会有意外。这样，候选人就知道接下来会发生什么，并有足够的机会提出他们可能遇到的任何问题。

2. 解释为什么要进行背景调查。

虽然有些人可能认为背景调查只是一种形式，但帮助候选人了解员工背景调查对您的组织和员工队伍的价值是一个好主意。这样做提供了一个很好的机会，可以帮助候选人看到您不仅仅是在进行检查以识别犯罪活动并验证他们的凭据。您还采取措施保护您的员工、访客和客户。 

确保将您依赖背景调查的许多原因作为运行良好的招聘流程的一部分，例如：

• 打造让全体员工引以为豪的高素质员工队伍

• 支持无毒品工作场所的发展

• 确保新员工拥有执行工作所需的凭据

• 遵守特定行业的筛查要求，例如医疗保健行业

3.帮助候选人在筛选过程中了解自己的合法权利。

对于候选人来说，重要的是要认识到彻底的背景调查不包括使用任何手段窥探他们过去的各个方面。为了消除这种误解，请采取措施让候选人知道您的组织与遵循适用的联邦和州有关背景调查的法律的筛选提供商合作。

例如，通过与帮助您遵循公平信用报告法 (FCRA) 的彻底披露和授权流程的提供商合作，您可以确保候选人了解他们的合法权利以及如何获取和使用他们的背景信息。

4. 分享要检查的内容（以及不检查的内容）。

鉴于一些候选人可能认为员工背景调查对他们过去的影响比实际情况更多，因此有必要澄清他们对背景调查中包含的内容和不包含的内容的任何误解。例如，如果您的组织检查犯罪、教育和就业历史，但不检查社交媒体活动或过去七年之后的任何活动，请告知候选人。

另一个需要澄清的领域是药物筛选。鉴于最近有许多州增加了新的大麻立法，候选人可能需要更清楚地了解您的药物筛选计划中包含哪些药物，哪些不包含，无论是大麻还是其他药物。

5. 帮助候选人了解背景调查的步骤。

在当今竞争激烈的就业市场中，您最不需要的就是繁琐或冗长的背景调查过程，这会导致您失去候选人。为防止这种情况发生，请让候选人了解背景调查流程的步骤和时间范围，以及他们预计何时结束。 

例如，您可以共享以下背景筛选信息：

• 候选人提交披露和授权表格后，员工背景筛选过程需要多长时间

• 进行药物测试预约和接收结果的时间表

• 如果发生争议，候选人需要多长时间审查他们的背景调查报告并提交新信息
  
  
  
  

6. 使用背景调查技术有效地运行您的筛选过程。

筛选技术使背景检查过程自动化，并使候选人更容易共享完成筛选过程所需的个人信息。与其浪费时间通过电子邮件来回发送候选人表格，不如与筛选提供商合作，该提供商使用可定制的专有筛选技术来改善候选人体验。 

筛选技术使候选人能够更有效地浏览筛选过程，帮助他们避免与您的人才招聘团队不必要的电子邮件和语音邮件消息。通过减少候选人在背景调查和药物筛选过程中履行职责所需的时间，您可以更接近从筛选到雇用和入职的过渡。 

以下是您可以借助员工背景筛选技术进行的一些示例：

• 使用无纸化披露和授权流程更快地启动背景调查流程。

• 为候选人提供移动工具，用于查找附近的药物检测中心和安排筛查预约。

• 使用可选的应用内消息传递，使筛选分析师能够直接与候选人确认姓名和地址等信息。

不断改进您的员工背景调查计划

尽管您可能已经制定了明确的政策和流程来运行您的背景筛选计划，但您可能还可以做更多的事情来改进流程——对于候选人和您的员工。
毕竟，即使是最有效的背景筛选程序也可以从全新的外观和定期注入新的最佳实践中受益。

鉴于技术的进步和不断变化的合规要求，背景筛选是您招聘过程中不断发展的一部分。通过审查您现有的做法并寻找新的方法来提高候选人的效率、合规性和更好的体验，您可以使您的筛选计划保持良好的运行状况。如需更多见解，请阅读《审计和改进背景筛查计划指南》。

But for candidates, the prospect of an employment background check may be a source of worry, frustration, or even confusion. Candidates may not understand what is involved in a background check, their rights, or how the information yielded from a background check can influence their employment opportunities.

Based on what candidates know about background checks or what they’ve experienced in the past with other employers, it can be challenging for them to undergo background screening with your company. However, by taking deliberate steps to clarify the background screening process, you can keep candidates informed and help them navigate the screening process successfully.

How to Demystify the Employee Background Screening Process

Though the most recent PBSA employer survey revealed that 95 percent of employers use background screening, not all companies screen all candidates. Therefore, it’s likely you will still encounter candidates who have never gone through the background check process. Even individuals who have had the experience before may have some misconceptions about the process and how it will affect their future employment prospects. 

For example, candidates may have confusion about the following:

• What is included in an employee background check

• How long it takes to complete a background check

• How far back background checks go

• Which drugs are included in a drug test, and how drug screening results are interpreted

• What happens if something in their past is deemed a risk by a prospective employer 

Instead of potentially losing great candidates because they are uninformed about employee background screening, look for opportunities to clarify candidate concerns and give them the information they need to confidently approach your screening process. Take the following actions to demystify the background check and provide candidates with some much-needed behind-the-scenes transparency.


Conducting an audit is the best way to assess your entire background screening program. Don’t know where to start? We can help>>>

1. Be transparent about your screening process at the start of the interview process.

As anyone ever involved in a job search can attest, it can be frustrating to encounter surprises at the end of a lengthy interview process, especially if it appears an offer is forthcoming. If you wait too late in the process to add a slew of new interviewers or tell candidates about a background check process they didn’t know existed, you can not only damage the candidate experience, but also potentially send candidates running away to pursue other opportunities. 


Don’t wait until you’ve made an offer to let candidates know they will be asked to undergo a background check. Instead, explain the process clearly and upfront so there are no surprises. That way, candidates know what’s coming and have ample opportunities to ask any questions they might have.

2. Explain why you run background checks.

While some may see background checks as just a formality, it’s a good idea to help candidates understand the value employee background screening offers to your organization and workforce. Doing so offers a great opportunity to help candidates see that you’re not just performing a check to identify criminal activity and verify their credentials. You’re also taking steps to protect your workforce, visitors, and customers. 

Be sure to include the many reasons you rely on background checks as part of a well-run hiring process, for example:

• To build a high-quality workforce all employees can be proud of

• To support the development of a drug-free workplace

• To make sure new hires have the necessary credentials to perform their jobs

• To comply with industry-specific screening requirements, for example, in the healthcare industry

3. Help candidates understand their legal rights during the screening process.

It’s important for candidates to recognize that a thorough background check doesn’t include using any means to pry into every aspect of their past. To dispel such a myth, take steps to let candidates know your organization works with a screening provider that follows applicable federal and state laws regarding background checks.

For example, by working with a provider that helps you follow a thorough disclosure and authorization process in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you can be assured candidates know their legal rights and how their background information will be obtained and used.

4. Share what will be checked (and what won’t).

Given that some candidates may think employee background screening intrudes into their past more than it does, it’s worthwhile to clarify any misconceptions they might have about what is included in a background check and what isn’t. For example, if your organization checks criminal, educational, and employment history, but not social media activity or any activity beyond the last seven years, let candidates know.

Another area to provide clarity is drug screening. Given the large number of states that have recently added new marijuana legislation, candidates may need more clarity about which drugs you include in your drug screening program and which you don’t, whether that’s marijuana or another drug.

5. Help candidates understand the steps of their background check.

In today’s highly competitive job market, the last thing you need is a cumbersome or lengthy background check process that causes you to lose candidates. To prevent this from happening, let candidates know the steps and timeframe of your background check process, and when they can expect it to conclude. 

For example, you can share the following background screening information:

• How long the employee background screening process takes after candidates have submitted their disclosure and authorization forms

• The timeframe for making drug testing appointments and receiving results

• In the event of a dispute, how long candidates have to review their background check report and submit new information
  
  
  
  

6. Use background check technology to run your screening process efficiently.

Screening technology automates the background check process and makes it easier for candidates to share the personal information needed to complete the screening process. Instead of wasting time sending candidates forms back and forth over email, work with a screening provider that uses customizable, proprietary screening technology to improve the candidate experience. 

Screening technology enables candidates to navigate the screening process more efficiently, helping them avoid unnecessary email and voicemail messages with your talent acquisition team. By lessening the time it takes for candidates to fulfill their responsibilities in the background check and drug screening process, you can get that much closer to transitioning from screening to hire and onboarding. 

Here are just a few examples of what you can do with the aid of employee background screening technology:

• Use a paperless disclosure and authorization process to start the background check process quicker.

• Provide candidates with mobile tools for finding nearby drug testing centers and scheduling screening appointments.

• Use optional in-app messaging to enable screening analysts to confirm information such as names and addresses directly with candidates.

Continuously Improve Your Employee Background Screening Program

Though you may already have clear policies and processes for operating your background screening program, there is likely more you can do to enhance the process—for candidates and your workforce.
After all, even the most effective background screening programs can benefit from a fresh look and periodic injections of new best practices.

Given advancements in technology and changing compliance requirements, background screening is an ever-evolving part of your hiring process. By reviewing your existing practices and looking for new ways to improve efficiency, compliance, and better experiences for candidates, you can keep your screening program in good operational health. For additional insights, read the Guide to Auditing and Improving Your Background Screening Program.