Rescreening Your Employees: Why, When, and How

Background checks are one of the most critical stages of the hiring process. But what happens once the candidate has been onboarded and employed for six months, a year, five years, or ten years? 

It’s common for screening checks to become quickly outdated. Licenses and accreditations can expire. The information from previous criminal and drug tests isn’t up to date. Even skills assessments should undergo re-evaluations. Circumstances change over time, and rescreening helps to identify issues that could affect an employee’s ability to perform their job safely and effectively.

Background screenings aren’t simply an isolated service done once, only never to revisit. Organizations need a robust rescreening process to limit their liability and protect their reputation.

This guide will explain the importance of continual checks and how to run a rescreening program effectively.

What Is Rescreening?

Rescreening is a periodic and ongoing check for your current employees after hire. The purpose of rescreening is to ensure they maintain the requirements set forth by the employer.

The focus of re-screening can differ from pre-employment screening. The latter verifies previous engagements like education, employment, and personal identification. The rescreening process may be more in-depth and includes criminal checks, credit checks, drug testing, medical screenings, and skills assessments.  

Is Rescreening Employees Legal?

Yes, rescreening employees is legal. However, you’ll have to comply with regulations from the EEOC and FTC. 

Here are a few regulations at various levels of government that require screening compliance:

• Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The Privacy Act of 1974
• Freedom of Information Act
• Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA)

Other federal, state, and local laws will also apply. Violating these regulations can incur heavy fines or lawsuits. Thus, it’s advisable to work with a dependable and experienced company like ScoutLogic to perform rescreening background checks on current employees. A screening service ensures legal compliance and protects your company and employees.  

Why Should You Rescreen Employees?

Despite the ongoing prevalence of organizational risk, one survey found that 48% of employers don’t rescreen. 

The need to screen employees doesn’t stop after the hiring process. When warranted, continuous monitoring and regular screening protect your company from various levels of risk.

However, rescreening doesn’t always concern negative aspects. The most common reasons are employee or organizational changes.

Employee Changes

• Promotions or job responsibility changes 
• Unusual or inappropriate behavior or interactions 
• Workplace accidents 
• Changes in information such as health status, driving record, or new criminal convictions 

Organizational Changes

• Company mergers 
• New policies or procedures introduced
• More sensitivity required in the line of work

What Are the Benefits of Rescreening?

Rescreening helps you to spot any red flags from employees. Without it, your company is vulnerable to license expirations, potential criminal activity, or other changes in information. If you’re still on the fence, here are the main benefits of rescreening:

Maintain Up-to-Date Records 

Your data from pre-employment checks can quickly become outdated. Long-tenured employees who passed a different pre-employment check may not have undergone a thorough vetting the first time. 

Rescreening employees ensure you have accurate and up-to-date information. Maintaining accurate records allows you to make sound decisions concerning the safety and reputation of your workplace. It could also impact the promotion decisions since you’ll know whether a candidate qualifies for their new role. 

Verify Initial Background Checks

One survey found 85% of resumes contained falsified information. Another found 77% contained an issue with their background. 

Pre-employment checks aren’t always accurate. You may have changed your policies from years ago, so you must vet all employees under your updated screening process. 

Reduces Employee Turnover Rate 

Depending on the industry, the turnover rate varies. Rescreening lets you receive insights into why certain employees didn’t pan out. 

Over time, you’ll recognize patterns, allowing you to avoid the cost and lost time of making poor hiring decisions. Implementing an ongoing rescreening program puts everyone on notice to hold themselves accountable for maintaining the required standard for working in the company. 

When Should You Rescreen Employees?

Screening your employees is crucial to maintaining your workplace safety. When to rescreen your employees varies from business to business. Some companies have routine rescreening programs, while others may only run them in specific scenarios. 

Here are instances where re-vetting current employees may be appropriate: 

• An employee receives a promotion or changes roles within the organization: When employees are promoted or move to a new role, they gain different responsibilities. They may even have more benefits, like a company vehicle or access to sensitive information. These new access points can put your company at risk if you haven’t rescreened them properly. 
• Information changes or expires: Information can change over time. For example, a driver with a recent traffic violation means their driving record has changed. Rescreening their driving history can help you find any risks associated with their ability to perform their job duties. 
• Rehiring contractors: Even if you’ve collaborated with contractors in the past, it doesn’t guarantee that things haven’t changed. Third-party workers can put your company and clients at risk if not appropriately vetted. 
• Workplace accident: A workplace is a potential indicator that an employee should go through rescreening. For example, you may uncover a workplace incident involving substance abuse. 

How to Run an Effective Rescreening Program

From a liability standpoint, it’s best to set an ongoing policy requiring employees to go through re-screening within a given period, such as biannually or annually. 

We recommend creating a clearly defined program that makes the policy accessible and understandable for all employees. The policy should describe the re-vetting process, the checks involved, what you’re looking for, and any consequences if the assessment uncovers any negative information. 

Here are several pointers to help run an effective rescreening program: 

• Always ensure your policies are compliant with applicable local, state, and federal regulations. 
• Have clear policies for background screening and rescreening programs. 
• The level of screening must be proportionate to the job title and role. For example, someone that handles finances or security may require a more thorough vetting process. 

The easiest way to rescreen is to work with an experienced background screening provider like ScoutLogic to guarantee accurate results. Our background checks give a detailed history of an individual’s background, such as employment credit, criminal searches, drug testing, occupational health, education and employment verification, social media, and more. 

Final Thoughts

Rescreening is vital to the health of your organization. Even workers who thoroughly screened before hiring may run into issues over the course of their employment that could negatively impact your company. 

Having a transparent rescreening process that applies to all employees can help reduce any dissatisfaction and avoid individuals feeling singled out. For this reason, scheduled recreenings, such as on an annual or biannual basis, are often the best solution. Regularly scheduled rescreenings can also reduce your company’s administrative burden.  

Fortunately, re-vetting your employees is more manageable than before with ScoutLogic. We offer a wide range of background-checking solutions for pre and post-employment. Learn more about ScoutLogic background-checking services today! 

David Garcia

David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Scout Logic, is an industry leader in the bulk background check world. With his strategic acumen and expertise in the HR sphere, specifically in hiring, recruiting, legal compliance, background checks, and resume screening, he’s an invaluable asset and consultant.

David's counsel extends across the boards of ScoutLogic, YipitData, and Supplier.io, drawing from his impactful stints on the boards of Infutor and Avetta. With an extensive 25-year journey, he champions unparalleled B2B commercial leadership within data & analytics, significantly shaping the HR landscape.