Do your Homework: Perform a Background Check

Hiring an employee from an agency -- whether it be a nanny, home health care worker, etc. -- doesn’t guarantee anything. People are getting wiser though and most clients won’t go near an agency that doesn’t perform background checks on all employees. Unfortunately a blind Ohio attorney, Carl Rose, followed up on a recommendation for a personal assistant. His case worker, working for the Ohio Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, recommended Nancy Haylor and she subsequently stole over $22,000 from Rose. Rose filed a lawsuit against the state agency and lost, but he’s now considering appealing. Haylor had a history of theft conviction from stealing from a previous employer. Yes, Rose should have been more cautious and should have even performed a background check on his own. But recommendations should be made with caution, especially if you’re representing an agency. Moral of the story -- do background checks (Read full story here).

So what are you looking for in a background check? Especially if you run an agency, focusing on senior home care or rehabilitation. Here are some questions you may want to ask when choosing the appropriate background check.

1. Is a sex offender check included?


2. Does the check include criminal court records in multiple states where the candidate has lived?


3. Do the addresses given by the potential employee match those provided by the background check?


4. Is there a driving record check?

There are different levels of background checks and the better ones do require a fee, although the higher the fee doesn’t necessarily mean the better. The free background checks are the ones that probably aren’t the most reliable or in depth, simply matching a name to an address. A good background check matches names to SSN’s to past addresses and to any criminal history across numerous states. All checks follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) which only enable information in the past 7 years to be reviewed. However, if employment requires working with children or seniors, some states allow the checks to go beyond the 7 years. But review the laws in your state for background checks, giving you a clear understanding of what information you can obtain on your candidate. You can still miss important information even when performing a background check so it’s always crucial that the right questions are asked during the interviewing phase. Ask if they’ve ever been convicted of a felony and see if it matches up with the background check. In addition, perform a psychological and behavioral assessment. Compassionate, patient and trustworthy individuals are needed in the caregiving field so use your own intuition if the potential employee is a good match. A stellar background check doesn’t always mean a perfect fit, but a convicted sex offender is not someone you want caring for your client’s grandmother or disabled child.

There are reputable companies out there who provide background checks. So do your homework, figure out what you need to know, and make it part of your company’s hiring process.