What is a Temp Agency, and What Services Do They Offer

A temporary service employment agency provides qualified candidates to help plug the talent gap for employers quickly. The agency can also schedule candidates for interviews. Hiring a temp employment agency that performs candidate screening can help to ensure that your company gets employees with clean records.        

Should Temp Agencies Run Background checks (Pros and Cons)

As a widespread industry practice, temporary workers only get screened when they receive a temp job offer. Background checks are not very expensive, but also not free. Running a background check helps agencies avoid hiring candidates with a criminal background and sending them to you for temporary jobs.

As agencies are legal employers for temporary staff, background checks safeguard them from possible legal issues. Background checks ensure screening out potential threats. Your company relies on agencies to do the due diligence on your behalf. Background checks are predominant when hiring medical staff and for labor-type jobs such as warehouse workers, drivers, porters, etc. Most candidates who want to get paid understand that they must provide their information. Moreover, background checks provide a sense of comfort for temp employees to be able to work without interruptions.

Temporary service employment agencies tend to churn large numbers of candidates, so upfront background checking can help them maintain a pool of employment-ready candidates for on-demand deployment.

For some jobs, like administrative assistance, temp agencies are less likely to process background checks. The agencies, in those cases, tend to review resumes and check for substantial career gaps, which sometimes can be indicative. Omitting a background check in this situation can still be a dangerous practice. The agency can get into legal trouble with improper screening if unscreened employees commit fraud or theft.

However, asking for background checks may not always go well with candidates. In times of identity fraud, with people becoming more and more cautious about the information they share about themselves, some temp workers may be reluctant to provide personal information before getting hired.

Alternatives to Background Checks For Temporary Employees

Prestigious temp employment agencies usually ask for background checks. If your temp employment agency does not conduct background checks for prospective employees, you can get it done yourself. Choose a reputed background check service for third-party background checks. It can be arranged quickly at a flat fee which covers aspects of the check, including – criminal history, SSN trace, verifications, social media search, drug screening, and national sex offender search. You could also request the temp employment agency to arrange the background checks and include the cost in the final invoice.   

Things to Consider When Background checking

A staffing agency must get the candidate’s approval before processing background checks. Also, they can not share screening reports with anyone without the candidates’ consent. Including the consent form as part of the signing-up paperwork is not uncommon. Background checks are a cost to your company but are critical to hiring a temporary worker successfully. As a contingent, you may ask the candidate to pay for their background check if they fail the screening.

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First Contact HR provides background screening, fingerprinting, drug testing, and due diligence investigations to employers. With our comprehensive background screening services, you can keep your company safe and compliant with the latest screening regulations. Get your custom background screening quote here.