The background check process can feel like a drag on an otherwise smooth and efficient hiring process. To reduce this drag, many companies are tempted to rely on instant background checks, rather than waiting for the results of a comprehensive screening.

Here are three reasons that an instant background check may backfire – and cause more delays and trouble for your company than it’s worth.

Instant background checks aren’t corroborated.

An instant background check pulls information from commercially available databases and presents it for review – instantly. There’s just one problem: An instant background check leaves no time for information to be verified.

Erroneous details in an instant background check can lead to disastrous hiring decisions. A check that leaves out an important criminal record, for instance, may result in hiring someone who cannot legally hold a certain position. A check that erroneously reports something that never happened may lead to a decision not to hire – and a challenge from a candidate who realizes something isn’t right. Comprehensive background checks avoid both of these problems by verifying information before the hiring committee sees it.

An instant background check may not be FCRA compliant.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires employers to follow specific steps when completing any background check. When these steps aren’t followed, companies risk fines and even lawsuits.

The quick nature of an instant background check means that FCRA compliance may not be built into the process. When FCRA compliance isn’t built in, violations can result. Comprehensive background checks build in necessary FCRA compliance steps, helping protect both your business and the person whose background is being screened.

Comprehensive background checks can lead to better hiring deliberations. 

Planned correctly, comprehensive background checks don’t need to cause a drag on the hiring process. Rather, they can occur alongside a hiring process that focuses on the skills and abilities of each individual candidate.

Instant background checks can become a shortcut. Employers who rely on them may subconsciously be asking the background check to tell them who to hire. Employers who use comprehensive background checks, however, give themselves time to get to know each candidate. They trust the background check will provide certain details, but they don’t rely on it to give them a full picture of the candidate. The result is a better hiring decision.

When it comes to background checks, don’t sell yourself or your customers short. Metrodata Services can help you ensure you see necessary and relevant information about each candidate, so that you can make the best hiring choice available. Contact us today to learn more.