How Long are Background Checks Good For?

It’s not the most frequent question we receive, but it’s definitely a popular one that gets asked.

How long are background checks good for? 

You want to know you are legally protected AND getting a great return on your investment.

The real question is: How often should we be re-screening our employees and volunteers to keep our organization safe? To keep us from being sued? To stay out of the media?

I wish I could say a criminal background check would keep you safe and risk free for 5 years. However, the truth is that a background check is history the moment it is completed.

Think about it. We complete a background check today and your applicant could get arrested tonight. Background checks are time sensitive. They are outdated quicker than a brand new car driving off the lot.

Now, let’s put this in perspective. 

Does this mean we should be doing background checks every day?

In a perfect world yes. In a practical world, no way. But what could help in extending the life of your background checks is ArrestAlert. With ArrestAlert, your employees or volunteers can be continuously monitored for any arrests. If someone in your organization is arrested, you will be notified right then and there. This can’t take the place of a background check, but it can definitely help extend the expiration date.

The fact of the matter is that there is no case law that indicates how long a background check is good for, so I’m going to answer the question by throwing it back to you: 

How Long Do You Think Background Checks Should Be Good For?

I would go out on a limb and say the majority of organizations are NOT conducting ongoing screening. Pre-employment background checks are one piece of a comprehensive background screening program.

Many employers that have transitioned to an ongoing screening program have adopted 5 years as the magic number for a new criminal background check. 

Why 5 years? 

Possibly because this has been the law enforcement benchmark for many years.

Volunteer organizations typically have the most variance for re-checks. First, a lot of volunteer organizations do not conduct ongoing background checks. For those that are, the frequency ranges from 2 years to 5 years.

Ultimately, criminal background re-checks are a personal policy issue. I think we all agree, whether we are or are not doing re-checks, that never is not a sound policy.  A lot can change over a 20 year career.

For example, we recently conducted a criminal background check on an existing employee, and after discovering a felony record we called and notified our client. The client was absolutely shocked.

Why? 

Because the background check had been ordered accidentally while reviewing an old one. They didn’t even mean to order a re-screen.

The reality is that background screening should be an ongoing process, and it’s not a one and done deal. 

How can we manage the ongoing process? 

We know it can be really frustrating to try to keep track of who has a background check, and who needs a new one. Because of that, we created a management system that can make your lives 100x easier when managing background re-checks. 

Using our volunteer or employment module through SafeVisitor will automate the management process for you. 

SafeVisitor Can Automatically Manage The Recheck Process:

• Define the frequency for a recheck. This can vary for different classifications of volunteers. Best practices range from every 2-5 years.

• SafeVisitor begins emailing your employee or volunteer 30 days before their background check expires with a link to complete a recheck.

• Volunteer/employee’s ID expires if they do not initiate the recheck.

• Once the recheck is completed, the employee or volunteer will be put right back in the cycle to be checked again in the timeframe you indicated.

So, now that we’ve talked about managing rechecks, what should the timeframe between background checks be? 

I would recommend somewhere between 2-5 years with the use of ArrestAlert. It’s important to continue screening, but having the arrest monitoring is a game changer. With an integration to 90% of the jails in the US, ArrestAlert can help extend the life of your background checks.

So, what’s holding you back from starting an ongoing screening program?  

Do you feel safe only requiring a single criminal background check during the on-boarding process?

Please reach out to us via email at sales@safehiringsolutions.com or by phone at 866.434.0002. We will be happy to talk to you about what is the best option for your organization.