There are various reasons why you may need to get a background check or have one conducted on someone else. You may be looking to hire somebody or apply for a job yourself. It is important that the right background check is conducted whatever the reason to ensure that all the relevant, important information is acquired. There are people who have things in their past they want to hide, or who don’t have the experience and qualifications they claim on their resume.
Here is everything you need to know about background checks.
What Information Do Background Checks Include?
There are various degrees of background check with each providing a different level of information on the subject of the check. Background checks are usually performed by businesses or other organizations when hiring or otherwise bringing a new person on board. They may also be conducted for visa purposes or as a requirement of some other legal application. Background checks can give information on education, employment history, criminal record, marriage history, and present and past financial situation.
What Are the Most Commonly Used Background Checks?
There are different background checks used in different countries. For example in the United Kingdom, the most commonly used background checks used for legal and employment reasons are called DBS checks (disclosure and barring checks). There are three levels of this; basic, standard, and enhanced.
Basic DBS Check
The basic level of DBS check can be requested by anybody without them needing any special reason or a legal permission. It is usually used by businesses to learn more about a potential employee’s criminal history and for the purposes of some visa applications. The basic DBS check does not show spent or expired criminal convictions.
Standard DBS Check
The standard DBS check is the next level which will show spent convictions, unspent convictions, and those which have expired under the statute of limitations of course. These checks are only available upon request and the person or entity making the request must have a specific reason for it.
Enhanced DBS Check
The enhanced DBS check is the highest level and it can only be requested and granted in particular situations. This check shows all convictions, spent and unspent, arrests, cautions, police warnings, and minor reprimands.
Why Are Background Checks Needed?
If a business is looking to hire a new employee they need to make sure that everything on their resume is true and that they don’t have any undeclared criminal history. While it is illegal in many countries to fire or refuse to hire someone before of previously spent convictions, it is also illegal to not declare a criminal record history if requested by an employer or potential employer. Furthermore, for visa purposes, countries have the right to all of the information possible in order to decide who they want to allow into their country either to visit or to live.
Different background checks will provide different levels of information depending on the reason for the request. If you need a background check, make sure you find out what type is best and find out which authority offers the most thorough.