Why you possibly can belief TechRadar
We spend hours testing each services or products we evaluate, so that you may be certain you’re shopping for the perfect. Find out more about how we test.
Universal Background Screening, situated in Scottsdale, Arizona, operates as a licensed personal investigation agency in accordance with state legal guidelines. They even present their license on their web site. The corporate gives a wide range of companies, beginning with employment background checks, and in addition consists of employment bodily exams, common bodily exams, earnings verification, and compliance administration options. Though Common Background Screening is fully based mostly in the US, it gives its companies worldwide, overlaying roughly 200 international locations—from Albania to Zimbabwe.
Plans and pricing
Figuring out the precise pricing for Common Background Screening may be difficult, as their value construction is commonly personalized to fulfill every consumer’s distinctive necessities. The pricing for background screening companies usually varies as a result of a number of key elements influencing the general scope and complexity of the checks carried out.
Depth of the Search: The extent of element within the background examine performs a major position in pricing. As an illustration, a vital examine may embrace a easy felony historical past report, whereas a extra complete search may contain multi-state felony checks, credit score reviews, and schooling verification. The higher the depth of the search, the upper the price is prone to be.
Varieties of Checks Performed: Background screening can embody a variety of checks past felony historical past. Relying on the consumer’s wants, this might embrace employment verification, reference checks, drug testing, and social media evaluation. Every kind of examine has its related prices, which may fluctuate considerably.
Quantity of Checks Requested: The variety of background checks requested may affect pricing. Many firms provide bulk pricing reductions for shoppers requiring a number of checks, which may result in value financial savings for bigger organizations or industries with excessive turnover charges.
Customized Quotes: Given the variability of those elements, Common Background Screening, like many different firms within the trade, usually offers customized quotes tailor-made to every consumer’s particular wants. This ensures shoppers pay for what they require fairly than a one-size-fits-all package deal.
To acquire correct and detailed pricing info, it’s typically essential to contact Common Background Screening immediately. Their staff can assess your wants and supply a tailor-made answer in your funds. It is also price noting that, typically talking, the prices related to background examine companies fluctuate based mostly on the depth and breadth of the checks requested, making it important to debate your necessities upfront.
The way it works
After you contact Common Background Screening utilizing the Contact Type, a workers member will create a personalized screening program tailor-made to your particular wants. To develop this program, Common will take into account the particular liabilities associated to your trade to find out which screening companies are mandatory.
When you and Common have agreed on the related checks and you’ve got subscribed to their companies, you can order background checks each time you might be prepared to rent.
As a result of Common operates a paperless system and is HR-XML licensed, you possibly can place a brand new order with only one click on from inside your Applicant Monitoring System (ATS) of selection. Alternatively, you possibly can enter a candidate’s particulars via a portal on Common’s web site.
Options
Common Background Screening gives various companies to its shoppers. One shortcoming is that there aren’t any smartphone apps for Common Background Screening.
Felony File Searches from the cornerstone of the choices. Probably the most native one is on the county stage, the so-called County Courtroom Felony File Search. It covers a minimal of seven years, and encompasses courtroom convictions for each felonies and misdemeanors. It will get performed on-site on the native courtroom home, with a turnaround time of inside 2 days in 97% of instances. When a conviction will get recognized, it consists of the related case quantity, and the opposite particulars of the case similar to any jail time or fines that the courtroom ordered, and the way the applicant was recognized.
Increasing the search takes us to the Statewide Felony Search that’s provided, and covers 42 states. The outcomes fluctuate by the state, however typically embrace the offense, courtroom doc quantity, and different related particulars ought to a conviction be discovered. In some instances there’s a further cost for this search, relying on the state, from a low of zero {dollars} in Alabama, to a excessive of New York that imposes a $95 search charge.
These county and state searches typically get directed based mostly upon the addresses that the person has lived at, each at the moment and beforehand. Generally, the strategy must be extra widespread, similar to with a person with out correct prior tackle information. Common Background Screening has this lined as nicely, beginning with the USA CriminalSearch, which covers “Felony historical past information from statewide courtroom repositories from 22 states and Division of Corrections information from 45 states.” This reportedly covers 94% of the US inhabitants. The search may even be expanded additional with a USA OffenderSearch that covers a nationwide intercourse offender registry. Lastly, there’s USA SecuritySearch, a nationwide safety database and antiterrorism database with fourteen sources.
One other differentiation level of Common Background Screening is that that is verified info. Because of this it’s not merely the outcomes of a search of a database, which may typically be inaccurate as a result of unconfirmed hits, notably with a typical identify. Reasonably, these searches are a curated outcome, with confirmed hits that may be trusted, and “Absolutely compliant with Part 613 of the Honest Credit score Reporting Act (FCRA).”
Past felony background checks, there are additionally further companies obtainable. First is the search of motorized vehicle driving information, which captures information going again 36 months, and consists of visitors violations, and license suspensions. Then there’s the Employment Credit score Report, that’s tailor-made for employment functions. It’s a PEER (Pre-Employment Analysis Report) from TransUnion, and provides an entire credit score historical past to determine candidates which might be probably overextended, or not financially steady. It doesn’t embrace account numbers, nor adversely have an effect on the applicant’s credit score rating. Lastly, there’s drug testing, via a community of over 8,000 websites at SAMHSA-certified labs, that even can meet the stringent Division of Transportation (DOT) necessities.
Help
We will sum up that choices for assist with Common Background Screening are direct, however not excessively plentiful. There’s a postal tackle, however it’s uncertain what number of need to obtain their assist that approach in our trendy related occasions. There are additionally direct cellphone numbers, with further kudos for being toll free, and devoted for service, however most people don’t actually pay for lengthy distance today anyway. We additionally discovered a fax quantity, and a direct e-mail tackle. The ultimate possibility we discovered was a assist portal, the place you enter the required fields, and you’ll basically ship a message for contact, though we might criticize the shortcoming that there isn’t any possibility to incorporate an attachment, which may be helpful to ship a marked up screenshot to element the problem encountered.
By way of the extra superior choices, there actually aren’t any to be discovered. We didn’t discover a chat field, whether or not stay nor an automatic chatbot. Nor are there any self-serve choices similar to a FAQ, predone articles, webinars or a group discussion board.
The competitors
Though Common Background Screening is our best choice for the best employee background check service, it isn’t an ideal possibility if you must order a low quantity of screenings rapidly. GoodHire is a service that provides pre-made screening packages and which can be price trying out if you happen to don’t need to waste time establishing a personalized screening system, as it’s important to with Common.
Sterling is one other background examine supplier that sells customized options for shoppers in sure industries. Relying in your sector, you could discover that Sterling has companies that match higher together with your particular sector than Common’s screenings do.
Ultimate verdict
Common Background Screening is a major contender within the candidate search market, notably concerning pre-employment screening. The corporate’s in depth search choices provide employers a complete strategy to vetting potential hires. These searches embody felony background checks, employment verifications, schooling confirmations, and reference checks, offering a well-rounded view of a candidate’s {qualifications} and background.
Along with its search capabilities, Common Background Screening gives ancillary drug screening companies, which may be important for organizations trying to preserve a secure and compliant office. Their buyer assist can also be commendable, offering direct help to shoppers navigating the screening course of.
Nonetheless, there are notable areas for enchancment. The absence of devoted smartphone functions limits accessibility and comfort for customers preferring managing their screenings on cellular gadgets. Moreover, the pricing construction may be opaque; potential shoppers typically face frustration as a result of hidden charges related to particular searches and using out-of-network facilities for lab testing. This lack of pricing transparency can result in surprising prices that complicate organizational budgeting.
Regardless of these considerations, Common Background Screening stays a strong possibility for organizations in search of thorough pre-employment screening options. Its complete service choices and buyer assist make it price contemplating, notably for firms that prioritize a meticulous hiring course of. Continuous technological enhancements and pricing readability may additional improve its standing within the aggressive panorama of background screening companies.
We have additionally highlighted the best background check services for individuals.