The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) commissioned HR.com to conduct the national survey of 1,528 human resources professionals. The respondents collectively had operations in all 50 states. The survey gauged how companies approach background screening in order to identify today’s trends and practices.
The results demonstrated that nearly all human resources professionals now utilize background screening, citing public safety as their top priority. Employers of all sizes and locations report using screening as part of their onboarding process, typically after an interview or job offer.
According to the results, 98 percent of respondents said “they believe it is “very important” to their organization that the checks are accurate. At the same time, 62 percent stated that the length of time to get results is the most significant challenge facing their organization when conducting background checks. Cost was the second most cited challenge at 60 percent.” NAPBS members echo that this is a predominant challenge. They cite the trend of ever-decreasing availability of identifiers-such as dates of birth-in public record data, which requires additional time in researching. The survey also provided a clearer picture of how and what employers are screening.