Service Standards Ensured by NAPBS Accredited Background Screening Firms

Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn

Verifications of past education and past employment of job applicants are a necessary part of background checks. A background screening firm accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) has policies and procedures in place to ensure maximum possible accuracy when obtaining, recording, and reporting verification information for their clients. This blog is the fifth in a six part series about the NAPBS Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP).

'Verification Service Standards' is the fifth of six sections of the BSAAP created for Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) – the technical term for background screening companies – along with 'Consumer Protection,' 'Legal Compliance,' 'Client Education,' 'Researcher and Data Product Standards,' and 'General Business Practices.' The BSAAP contains 58 clauses that CRAs must follow to be NAPBS Accredited. The 'Verification Service Standards' section contains the 11 clauses below as listed on the NAPBS website:

5.1 Verification Accuracy – CRA shall maintain reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy when obtaining, recording and reporting verification information.

5.2 Current Employment – CRA shall have procedures in place to contact consumer's current employer directly only when authorized by client and/or consumer.

5.3 Diploma Mills – When attempting educational verifications from known or suspected diploma mills, CRA shall have reasonable procedures in place to advise client of such.

5.4 Procedural Disclosures – CRA shall provide full disclosure to clients about general business practices regarding number of attempts to verify information, what constitutes an "attempt," locate fees, fees charged by the employer or service provider and standard question formats prior to providing such services.

5.5 Verification Databases – If CRA compiles and stores employment or education verification information for sale, CRA shall have procedures in place to ensure that data is accurate at the time information is provided to end user and have procedures in place for handling consumer disputes.

5.6 Use of Stored Data – If CRA provides investigative consumer reports from stored data, CRA shall have procedures in place to ensure the CRA does not provide previously reported adverse information unless it has been re-verified within the past three months, or for a shorter time if required by state or local law.

5.7 Documentation of Verification Attempts – CRA shall have procedures in place to document all verification attempts made and the result of each attempt, in completing all verification services.

5.8 Outsourced Verification Services – CRA shall require a signed agreement from all providers of outsourced verification services. The agreement shall clearly outline the scope of services to be provided, verification methodology, documentation of verification efforts, disclosure of findings, time frame for communication and completion of requests, confidentiality requirements, reinvestigation requirements and other obligations as furnishers of information under the federal FCRA.

5.9 Conflicting Data – Should CRA receive information from the verification source subsequent to the delivery of the consumer report, and as a direct result of the initial inquiry, that conflicts with originally reported information, and that new information is received within 120 days of the initial report, (or as may be required by law), CRA shall have procedures in place to notify client of such information.

5.10 Professional Conduct – CRA shall train all employees engaged in verification work on procedures for completing verifications in a professional manner.

5.11 Authorized Recipient – If CRA is requesting verification by phone, fax, email or mail, CRA shall have procedures in place to confirm that verification request is directed to an authorized recipient.

Governed by a strict professional standard of specified requirements and measurements, the BSAAP is becoming a widely recognized seal of achievement that brings national recognition to background screening organizations.  This recognition will stand as the industry "seal," representing a background screening organization's commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. To learn more about the BSAPP, visit www.napbs.com/accreditation/.

Founded in 2003 as a not-for-profit trade association, the NAPBS® represents the interests of more than 700 member companies around the world that offer tenant, employment, and background screening.  NAPBS provides relevant programs and training aimed at empowering members to better serve clients and maintain standards of excellence in the background screening industry, and presents a unified voice in the development of national, state, and local regulations. To learn more about the NAPBS, visit www.napbs.com.

To read other blogs in this series, visit http://www.esrcheck.com/wordpress/tag/napbs/.

ESR Achieves Re-Accreditation with NAPBS

The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC) has announced that Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) successfully demonstrated continued compliance with the Background Screening Agency Accreditation Program (BSAAP) and is recognized as BSCC-Accredited. To learn more about Accreditation, read the ESR News Blog "Employment Screening Resources Achieves Background Screening Credentialing Council Re-Accreditation."

Founded in 1997, Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) is a global background check firm headquartered in the San Francisco, California area. ESR is a strategic choice that consistently delivers fast, accurate, affordable, and compliant information through innovative and highly integrated solutions. ESR is accredited by the NAPBS® and is audited yearly for SSAE 16 SOC 2® Type 2 compliance, a distinction held by a small percentage of background screening firms. To learn more about ESR, visit www.esrcheck.com.

NOTE: Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) does not provide or offer legal services or legal advice of any kind or nature. Any information on this website is for educational purposes only.

© 2016 Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) – Making copies or using of any part of the ESR News Blog or ESR website for any purpose other than your own personal use is prohibited unless written authorization is first obtained from ESR.

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