When it comes to hiring, many employers view background screening as a regulatory requirement, something to check off the list before extending a job offer. However, treating background checks as a mere compliance exercise can be a costly mistake. A well-executed background screening program is not just about following the rules; it’s about protecting your business, employees, and customers while improving hiring decisions.
Beyond Compliance: The Real Purpose of Background Screening
Regulatory standards established by agencies like the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate specific screening practices. Nevertheless, these basic requirements may not fully capture an applicant’s background or the potential risks involved.
A strategic background screening program can help businesses:
✅ Enhance Workplace Safety – Screening for criminal history, drug use, and past safety violations helps prevent negligent hiring claims and fosters a safer work environment.
✅ Reduce Turnover Costs – Hiring the wrong person can be expensive. A well-designed background check helps identify red flags before they become costly mistakes.
✅ Protect Your Brand & Reputation – One bad hire can lead to financial loss, lawsuits, or PR nightmares. A thorough screening process mitigates these risks.
✅ Ensure Quality Hires – Screening for employment and education history, professional licenses, and references helps confirm that candidates have the skills and experience they claim.
“Just because it’s not required doesn’t mean it’s not necessary to protect your business, employees, and customers.”
— Marc Bourne, Vice President of Background Screening, Training, and Compliance at Workforce
Far too often, companies do the bare minimum regarding background screening, assuming that if a certain check isn’t explicitly mandated by regulations, it’s not worth doing. However, skipping critical screenings—such as county-level criminal searches, employment verifications, or ongoing monitoring—can expose businesses to significant risks that could have been easily avoided.
What Happens When You Only Do the Bare Minimum?
When companies treat background screening as a check-the-box exercise, they open themselves to potential risks, including:
❌ Inadequate Criminal Checks – Relying solely on a national criminal database search can leave gaps. A robust screening program should include county, state, and federal searches where the candidate has lived and worked.
❌ Employment & Education Fraud – According to a January 2025 Resume Builder Survey, 24% of the job seekers surveyed admitted to lying on their resume. The most frequent resume lie includes years of experience, skills and abilities, as well as length of positions held. Skipping employment verification could mean hiring an unqualified candidate.
Building a Comprehensive Background Screening Strategy
To move beyond compliance and build a stronger hiring process, consider these best practices:
📌 Customize Your Screening Program – Different roles require different levels of screening. Create packages based on roles to remain consistent in your screening practices.
📌 Use a Multi-Layered Screening Approach – Don’t rely on just one type of search. Combine criminal background checks, employment verifications, drug testing, and continuous monitoring for a fuller risk assessment.
📌 Integrate Background Screening with Your HR Systems – Automating the background check process through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or HRIS integration speeds up hiring and ensures consistency and compliance.
📌 Partner with a Trusted Screening Provider – WorkforceQA offers customized, compliant, and efficient background screening solutions for regulated industries, including DOT/FMCSA, FAA, healthcare, and corporate employers. Our proprietary TRAQ platform ensures seamless, accurate, and fast results.
A Smarter Approach to Hiring
Background screening should never be a one-size-fits-all solution or a compliance-only requirement. A proactive approach to background checks reduces risk, enhances safety, and leads to better hiring outcomes.
If your current background screening process is simply meeting the bare minimum, it may be time to re-evaluate and upgrade your approach.