Background checks have become a routine part of most hiring procedures. Technology plays a large role in this. Background check companies have access to thousands of databases they can search and scour and eventually compile into a background check report in a relatively short time. And while background check companies make billions of dollars, they can do this for much cheaper, much more efficiently, and do a much more thorough job than if the company were to do itself. It is, simply, a small price to pay for the reduced risk that hiring someone with a suitable background check report provides.
One of the largest companies in the background check business is Sterling Infosystems, Inc. (“Sterling”). They offer a range of background checks, from criminal history to employment verification. Sterling provides background checks for various industries and various purposes. Sterling background checks can include criminal record checks, credit history, employment verification, education verification, drug testing, and more.
The job search process is stressful enough. Knowing that a failed Sterling background check likely means you don’t get the job makes waiting for your Sterling background check results extra stressful. Understanding the time frame for a Sterling background check is essential for job candidates who are waiting for those results.
Understanding Types of Sterling Background Checks
Waiting on your Sterling background check status can be stressful. The answer to the question, “How long does a Sterling background check take?” is “It depends.” While Sterling’s website says that the background check wait time is less than 24 hours, we have found that Sterling completes most checks within 1 to 5 days. But there are exceptions and special circumstances. The length of time needed for a check depends on:
- The depth of the check.
- How many years have you been working?
- How many places have you lived?
- How many jobs have you had?
- How many schools did you graduate from?
- The complexity of the check.
- Does the job require any special licenses or credentials?
- Whether any international entities need to be contacted.
- The responsiveness of parties (schools, former employers, etc.) to whom Sterling sends requests for verification.
- The candidate’s own responsiveness.
The information that potential employers seek depends on the nature of the job:
- Regular employment screening. Companies use Sterling background checks for pre-employment screening to ensure that applicants are who they say they are, have the credentials they say they have, went to the schools they say they did, and have no criminal background. Every company is likely to do background screening for any job.
- Special situations. In certain industries, such as healthcare, government, and finance, companies must perform more sophisticated background checks, including credit checks and checks verifying professional licenses like medical licenses, law licenses, barber licenses, and driver’s licenses.
- Third-party checks. Some industries also require background checks on non-employees who will have access to their data. Third-party vendors, potential business partners, potential investors, and potential collaborators will be subject to background checks. Because Sterling has to check large numbers of people at the same time, these checks can take longer.
Understanding Information in Sterling Background Checks
As consumers lawyers, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the laws that affect people who interact with business. In the first section of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (the “FCRA”), Congress said that one of the primary purposes of the FCRA was “to insure that consumer reporting agencies exercise their grave responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, and a respect for the consumer’s right to privacy.” The FCRA provides rules and regulations regarding the accuracy of the information and the dispute process for inaccurate information.
The FCRA also provides guidelines for the types of information companies like Sterling can share with employers and how they can share it. An understanding of reports’ contents makes clear why accuracy in a Sterling criminal background check is imperative.
Items in a Sterling Criminal Background Check
- Criminal records. An individual’s criminal history, including arrests, convictions, and pending cases, for local, state, and federal jurisdictions. This requires searching national, state, and county-level databases. Some jurisdictions still do not have internet-searchable databases. If you have lived in these jurisdictions, your background check will likely take longer.
- Sex offender registry. If an individual is on a sex offender registry, that can appear in Sterling background check results.
- Warrants. A Sterling criminal background check can contain outstanding warrants.
- Records of incarceration. The Sterling background check process encompasses any periods of incarceration in state or federal prisons.
- Probation and Parole. A background check provides information on an individual’s probation or parole status.
Items in a Sterling Background Check for Employment
- Employment history. A Sterling employment background check contains a subject individual’s employment history, including titles and dates.
- Education verification. A Sterling background check can confirm that applicants have the educational degrees they claim to have.
- Credit history. A Sterling background check may include a credit report so the employer can assess a candidate’s financial responsibility and tolerance for risk.
- Professional licenses. For some jobs, a background check will necessarily contain verification that you have the certifications they need to perform the job.
- Reference checks. A background check can also include a reference check. But most companies conduct these themselves as they are more straightforward than researching databases.
Given the demand for background checks, the amount of data that Sterling needs to review, and the demand for Sterling to get background checks done quickly, errors can occur. The effects of an erroneous background report or a failed Sterling background check are severe, long-lasting, far-reaching, and life-altering. If a mistake or any snafu with your Sterling background check has cost you a job, or even if you just noticed a mistake in your Sterling background check, we encourage you to contact us. We are happy to review your case, assess it, and determine if legal action might be necessary.
The duration of a Sterling background check will vary depending on the type, depth, and complexity of the background check, as well as the response times of other parties needed to verify the information, the location of the other parties, and the candidate’s promptness in providing information. As the demand for thorough background checks rises, understanding these nuances becomes increasingly important for all parties involved in the hiring process.