PEOs Help with Small Business Background Screening

As a small business employer it can be very difficult in finding the safe and productive employee that your business needs to thrive in today’s market. One of the most successful ways to make the hiring process safer is by using a background check. A background check is the process in which the employer collects information on the potential employee’s history. This history includes criminal records, education, driving records, credit history, past employment, financial records, and several others.

A poor decision in the hiring process could lead to more significant issues, therefore the money invested into this process provides great value that cannot be denied.

An official background check will provide the following information about the employee:

  • Criminal records – Employers will be allowed to see arrests in the last seven years, a criminal conviction, as well as other public sites of highly sought after criminals.
  • Education – You will be able to find out what schools they attended as well as GPA and degrees they may have obtained (with student’s written permission).
  • Financial records – Documents such as financial checks (with employee permission), Worker’s Comp, Bankruptcies, as well as a few others.


As we have now gone over the basics of this process, there is another option to doing it yourself. Most
Professional Employer Organizations offer background checks and screenings as part of their services and may also provide access to discounts due to their volume based pricing. Due diligence takes up valuable time which you cannot afford as you go through the many complications of this process so leaving it to your PEO may be your best option.


About the Author
Anthony Kelly is a frequent contributor to PEOcompare.com and has experience working for small businesses since 1997. He frequently writes about HR issues and professional employer organizations. He can be reached at a.kelly@peocompare.com.