Employment Background Checks

Search of Civil Superior Courts of filings of $25,000 or greater by Plaintiff, Defendant, Attorney, or Case Number. First Contact HR can also search civil municipal court records (cases under $25,000), but does not recommend the search as civil records contain individuals’ names only with no other identifiers. Civil cases include disputes between private citizens, corporations, governmental bodies and other organizations. These records concern: employer-employee conflicts, property, personal rights, personal injures, liability suits, contract disputes, landlord-tenant conflicts, evictions, divorce and probate. Care must be taken by employers to use this information only when it is relevant to a specific job function and it is backed by appropriate policies and procedures. The use of civil information without proper policies in place is strongly discouraged.

Federal district courts are searched for civil cases involving alleged violations of constitutional rights or federal statutes. Cases may be brought by individuals, companies or governmental entities seeking monetary damages, an injunction, and/or another remedy provided by law. Case information will include the party name, case title, the court in which the case is located, case number, filing date, nature of suit and closing date.

Federal district courts are found in all 50 states and DC. Searches of Federal district courts for convictions of crimes that occurred on federal property and convictions of federal laws such as tax evasion, mail and wire fraud, drug trafficking, immigration law violations, bank robbery and postal offenses. Records provide a criminal history from the date of disposition, parole or release from imprisonment.

First Contact HR conducts county criminal searches to help organizations to protect against workplace violence, theft, drug abuse and sexual harassment. We recommend a search of all counties of residence, places of work and schools attended and any AKAs that are identified in an applicant’s Social Security Trace. Using First Contact HR’s network of researchers, we access the most current information available and report felony and misdemeanor convictions based on applicable federal and state law. It is often prudent to search additional counties that are adjacent to counties of residence. There is always a possibility the crimes have been committed in counties other than that of residence, place of work or school attended. Also, some cities straddle two or more counties, requiring a thorough search to include records in both counties. First Contact HR performs searches of current records directly at local county Superior and Municipal courts. Criminal searches are available nationwide as well as in the U.S. territories, Canada and other countries.

Education verification is highly recommended for professional-level and managerial positions. Applicants are known to falsify educational background most often on resumes and employment applications. First Contact HR generally verifies college degrees, unless clients ask that we verify a high school diploma, GED or “highest degree” earned. First Contact HR’s education verification will report the applicant’s dates of attendance, graduation date, degree earned and the GPA, if applicable.

First Contact HR offers and recommends verification of past employment for all employees. We ensure that the verification process occurs timely and consistently. It is estimated that approximately 40% of all resumes and employment applications are embellished or contain falsified information. Our basic Employment Verification reports the employer’s name, applicant’s title, dates of employment, salary history (upon client’s request), and whether they are eligible for rehire. We offer more extensive and comprehensive employment verifications upon request that asks additional questions about the applicant’s overall work performance, strengths and weaknesses, initiative and work attitude.

The Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS™) Level I report includes a search of the sanction information as taken by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), the General Services Administration (GSA) and other federal agencies. This report meets the government’s minimum requirements for sanction screening as set forth in the OIG’s Compliance Program Guidance. This service also includes a search of FDA lists containing the names of clinical investigators who have been disqualified or “totally restricted” by the FDA from conducting studies designed to develop evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of investigational drugs, biological products and medical devices. The FDA may disqualify a clinical investigator if that person has repeatedly or deliberately failed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or has submitted false information to the sponsor or, if applicable, to the FDA.

The Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS™) Level II report combines the FACIS Level I search of the federal agencies with disciplinary action information from multiple agencies and one state of choice.

The Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS™) Level III report combines the FACIS Level I search of the federal agencies with disciplinary action information from multiple agencies as well as those taken by licensing and certification agencies in all 50 states. An industry specific general knowledge & cognitive skills test that measures typical requirements of entry-level jobs, such as basic math fundamentals, basic knowledge of U.S. monetary units, basic business vocabulary, and minimum reading competency. It can be administered remotely at the client’s worksite, and is effective in determining the level of supervision for new employees, as well as their potential for near-term supervisory roles.

Searches are conducted in other countries as requested by client. The cost and turnaround times vary for each country and therefore are quoted before the search begins. For clients with international operations, the quoted prices and turnaround times generally remain the same over time.

First Contact HR provides motor vehicle history (MVR) reports nationwide and highly recommends this search for applicants and current staff who drive on company business on occasion or on a regular basis. MVR reports determine whether the license is valid, suspended or revoked. MVR reports contain state driving record information back at least three years, possibly up to seven years, depending on state policies. Some states make any infraction involving drugs or alcohol a permanent part of a driver’s record. Reports may contain physical description, license information, infractions, home address, and possibly previous driver’s license numbers. If a DWI/DUI offense is the target information, it will usually appear in a criminal record, and not always on the driver’s license check after 3 years.

The Multi-jurisdictional Criminal Database Scan is a comprehensive database that consists of the largest criminal database available with millions of offense records nationwide. This search is completed and reported within one hour. It can be a valuable resource that may uncover convictions in counties not identified in a Social Security Trace or Credit History Report if the subject never lived in the county. We recommend that this search always supplement a county criminal search, as the records from this scan are indexed from state correctional institutions, sexual offender and violent offender lists, the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) and some state and county court records.

First Contact HR provides photo identification badges and event name tags for organizations nationwide. This value-added service allows clients to upload digital images of their employees or contractors to our web portal. We print the photos on customized PVC badges to client’s specifications and arrange prompt delivery.

First Contact HR’s Reference and Verification Department conducts professional license and certification verifications. The validity of applicants’ professional licenses, date and state of issue, renewal and expiration dates, current status, registration numbers (if any) and any disciplinary action are reported promptly along with other requested services.

First Contact HR offers three types of Reference Interviews under its verification check: Professional, Management and Executive (hyperlink to Verification Check Services). The Professional Interview includes questions targeted to the applicant’s level of professionalism, work ethic, and adaptability. The Management Interview encompasses the entire Professional Interview and includes additional questions that target the applicant’s management capabilities. The Executive Interview combines the Management Interview and adds questions that target the applicant’s executive management skills and capabilities. This interview also provides our clients the opportunity add up to 4 additional questions of their own to customize the Executive Interview for the specific position or industry.

Search of credit bureau files to obtain the state and date of issue of the social security number. This search also reports the name and name variations associated with the SSN, such as maiden, divorced or previous names, the current and former address(es) associated with that SSN, any fraudulent activity or connection with a deceased person. This information helps determine which counties and names should be searched in our investigation.

State repositories provide statewide searches of criminal convictions; however, First Contact HR cautions clients about state repositories because few of them are accurate and up to date. Except where the repository is updated daily, state repository searches should not replace county criminal searches. They may, however, be used in conjunction with county searches for a thorough investigation.

Search of statewide sex offender registry. Sex offenders must register when they move according to Megan’s law. Sex offender registry searches are statewide searches of registered sex offender databases. First Contact HR recommends this search in all background screening packages, as these searches can be effective in uncovering violent sex offenders committed outside the current state of residence.

Search of the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bank of England Terrorist list and Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Institutions list (OSFI). The list contains names of foreign nationals (individuals and entities) that the U.S. government currently has sanctions against; whose property may be blocked; who is restricted from exporting by the U.S. Department of Commerce; and whom no U.S. person may have dealings with. Individuals on the list include known terrorists and international narcotics traffickers.

This is a comprehensive search of administrative and disciplinary actions levied against potential employees and representatives. This is a name-based search of various databases that perform oversight of business leaders and professionals in the securities, commercial banking, mortgage, real estate and appraisal industries. The information is sourced from wide selection of federal oversight sources, including regulatory agencies and state regulators.

Specific government database searches are available that are generally industry specific including but not limited to the FDA disbarments, HHS-OIG Debarred/Excluded Individuals, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctions, and the Securities and Exchange Commission sanctions. Other government database searches are available upon request.

A comprehensive name-based search of the most popular internet search engines to uncover any disparaging information that could impact the subject’s job reputation once employed or our client’s public relations image.