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Posted by: David Garcia July 21, 2020

Professional background checks are key to help safeguard today’s increasingly globalized workforce. A new survey from the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) affirms that nearly all organizations utilize background check services. This report reveals emerging trends in who is being screened and how often, what elements go into a background check and the increasing value of international screening capabilities.

The 2020 PBSA background screening survey results indicate that the reasons for conducting background checks are largely the same as previous years. The top three reasons for conducting background checks are: protecting the safety of employees and customers (83%), improving the quality of hires (51%), and mandated by law/regulations (40%).

This year’s survey also saw considerable increases in the number of organizations that screen other types of individuals, including part-time employees, contingent/temporary workers, volunteers and vendor representatives. This could indicate that employers increasingly realize the importance and accessibility of background screening and are applying it accordingly. It could also mean that organizations are now hiring a larger number of individuals who are not traditional full-time employees, as would befit the “Gig Economy” moniker applied to U.S. workforce trends in recent years.

The survey also found that background checks are becoming more robust. Employers are checking significantly more employees and also including more elements of non-criminal records checks. These checks can include employment verification, social media searches, credit reports and professional license verification.

This is great information as you work with a background check vendor to develop the right mix of services for your program.  The goal is to provide the best background check to meet your organization’s needs.

If you currently operate a background check program as an employer or a partner, please click here to access this valuable information.

If you would like to learn more about background checks, please visit our resources page at ScoutLogic Background Check Resources.

“Background Screening: Trends and Uses in Today’s Global Economy”


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