You simply can’t afford to hire the wrong people. And sadly, some of the greatest dangers organizations face can come from within. To minimize risks, more and more companies are conducting pre-employment screening to spot potential problems before these individuals have access to vital information and processes.

That’s good business.

ISS provides the most comprehensive and far-reaching national criminal search on the market. Taking into account the disparity in state-wide criminal records, we drill down one more level when conducting national criminal background investigations. In addition to searching all available statewide repositories of criminal records, we research county courthouse records for each county in which the subject has resided in the previous seven years (based on a Social Security number trace). We specialize in interpreting the data for you, creating well-written, easy-to-read reports that give you the information you need to make the best staffing decisions.

ISS works with each client to design the right processes and reports, whether the search is for entry-level or executive personnel. And, our general counsel ensures our work is fully compliant with FCRA and other employment and privacy law.

Common Screening Options: (click here for detailed descriptions)

• National criminal records search

• Federal courts check, specifically targeting civil suits and bankruptcies

• Credit history check

• Social Security verification (for identity, addresses)

• County tax records check

• Sex offender registry check

• Wants and Warrants check

• Social networking check (e.g., MySpace, Facebook)

• Education, military service and employment verifications

• Driver’s license check

• Detailed interviews of both named personal references and
  developed references

National Records Checks

The only truly national criminal database (maintained by the FBI) is not available to the general public. So, investigators must rely on state-level criminal records as the next most reliable and comprehensive indicator of past criminal activity

Public records laws vary widely from state to state. While some states offer open access to their criminal records, others have erected significant procedural hurdles or denied access to the public altogether. How, then, do companies offer “national” or “50 state” investigations?

The “Work-Around” Most Companies Use
Typically, companies offering these services are, in reality, searching state-wide criminal records in “open records” states, and Department of Corrections (DOC) records in other states. DOC records, however, are notoriously faulty indicators of past criminal activity; in many cases, DOC searches merely reveal incarceration records, and in some instances they only prove that the subject is not incarcerated at the time the search is conducted.