Employer Frequently Asked Questions

Are contracts required for working with PreciseCheck?
Yes, a contract is required for working with PreciseCheck.  However, our contract does not commit our clients to order a single background check and it does not commit our clients to stay with us for any period of time.

Are there fees for set-up and support?
With PreciseCheck, there are no set-up or support fees. 

What is the best background check package for my firm?
We recommend that you first ask this question to your legal counsel before making a decision. Some industries have different laws and and some jobs have different requirements, and they should be taken into consideration when determining the components of your background check package. PreciseCheck will work with your firm to customize a package to meet your requirements and fit within your budget.

How do I order PreciseCheck’s background screening services?
There are 4 different approaches for placing an order with PreciseCheck and they are as follows:

Client Portal: We will build your firm a home page within our system which your team can access to place orders and check status. Your results will be automatically emailed to you.

SwiftHire: Our SwiftHire tool enables your team to push the data entry out to the applicant. This saves your team a tremendous amount of time spent entering data. You will still be able to use the Client Portal for checking status, and the results will be automatically emailed to you.

ATS Integration: If this approach is utilized, the order is initiated in the ATS, the data is then sent to our system automatically, and when we have finished our work, the results get delivered back to the ATS automatically.

PreciseCheck: : Your firm can choose to have PreciseCheck perform the data entry for your orders. You will still be able to use the Client Portal for checking status, and the results will be automatically emailed to you.

Will PreciseCheck customize a background screening package for my firm?
PreciseCheck will customize a package or multiple packages to meet your firm’s exact background screening needs.  In fact, most of our customers have multiple packages customized in order to address the applicants applying for different types of jobs.

May I order background screening services on an à la carte basis?
PreciseCheck does allow you to order our background screening services on an à la carte basis.  You can order a package for a specific applicant, and in the same order, add some additional searches on an à la carte basis. Alternatively, you can order any product on an à la carte basis without ordering a package.

What is required of my firm to open an account with PreciseCheck?
To open an account with PreciseCheck, we will provide your firm with a New Client Setup Form to complete and a Standard Services Agreement to sign. Once these documents are finalized, your account will be setup.

What will PreciseCheck provide to my firm to enable us to start ordering background checks?
PreciseCheck will provide your firm with its Welcome Package which will include the following documents:

  • The Consumer Report Packet (this packet includes the following forms: Disclosure For Consumer Reports, Authorization, and Information Regarding Your Rights)

  • A Summary Of Your Rights Under The Fair Credit Reporting Act

  • Remedying the Effects of Identity Theft

  • User Procedures

We will also set up your designated users in our system with User IDs and Passwords and provide a webinar to show you how to navigate in our system, place orders, check status, etc.

How do I view my reports when they are completed?
PreciseCheck enables our customers to view completed reports online or by email.  In addition, there are several searches that make up a report and these can be sent to our customers as they are completed, or you can wait to see all of them once the entire report is finished.

Does PreciseCheck’s platform integrate with my Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
PreciseCheck’s platform integrates with many leading Applicant Tracking Systems. Please see a list of our Integration Partners. If you cannot find your ATS listed here, ask our team for more information as we regularly add integration partners.

How long do your background checks take?
PreciseCheck has some of the fastest turnaround times in the industry, especially for County Criminal searches, many of which are completed the same day that the order is placed. On average, PreciseCheck completes background checks in two business days.  However, there are several factors which can impact the timing of completing background checks. The two biggest factors impacting turnaround time are the County Criminal searches and Employment Verifications. County Criminal searches can take longer if the specific county being searched is a clerk led search, as the clerks will execute the search on their timeline. Employment Verifications can be completed the same day or can take several days depending upon the responsiveness of the employer.

Where does PreciseCheck search to complete its background checks?
PreciseCheck searches different sources for its various searches including County Court records, the National and State Criminal databases, the National Sex Offender Database, each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles database, the Office of Inspector General database, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control database, just to name a few.

Is there a way I can check the status of a background check report?
Yes, PreciseCheck’s system enables our customers to check the status of every background check report they have ordered online.  They can see how many and what type of searches are in the report, how many are complete, and which ones are still in progress..

What do employers have to be concerned about when running background checks?
Employers need to be concerned about legislation, government regulation, and litigation on the national, state, and local levels when running background checks.

  • From a legislative perspective, it is critical to be aware of laws passed regulating the use of credit reports, past salary history, Ban-the-Box and other measures.

  • From a regulatory perspective, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has altered the way American firms hire, especially regarding the use of criminal records. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) regulate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) which is the federal law that regulates background checks.

  • From a litigation perspective, there has been an explosion of lawsuits based upon violations of the FCRA. Therefore, there is no substitute for working with an attorney familiar with background screening to minimize risks inherent to the process.

As the employer, what do I need to do to ensure that I am in compliance with the FCRA?
There are 4 steps that an employer must take.

Step 1 – Employer Certification:
An employer must first certify to the Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) in writing that the employer will follow all the steps set forth in the FCRA and do the following:

  • Use the information for employment purposes only, which is a permissible purpose under the FCRA

  • Not use the information in violation of any federal or state equal opportunity law

  • Obtain all the necessary disclosures and consents as required by the FCRA (see steps 2 and 3 below)

  • Give the appropriate notices in the event an adverse action is taken against an applicant based in whole or in part on the contents of the Consumer Report

  • Give the additional information required by law if an Investigative Consumer Report is needed

Step 2 – Written Release and Disclosure:
Before obtaining a consumer report from a CRA, the employer must obtain the applicant’s written consent and also provide that applicant with a clear and conspicuous written disclosure that a background report may be requested.

Step 3 – Pre-Adverse Action Notice:
When an employer receives a Consumer Report and intends not to hire the applicant based on the report, the applicant then has certain rights. If the adverse action is intended as a result of a Consumer Report, then the applicant is entitled to certain documents per FCRA Section 604.  Before taking the adverse action, the employer must provide the following information to the applicant:

  • Pre-Adverse Notice

  • A copy of the consumer report

  • The document “A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.”

Step 4 –Adverse Action Notice:
If, after sending out the documents required in Step 3, the employer intends to make a final decision not to hire, the employer must take one more step. The employer must send the applicant:

  • A Notice of Adverse Action informing the applicant that the employer has made a final decision

  • The document “A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.”

Need more information?

For additional information, please contact us via email at info@precisecheck.com or call us at 818.230.7885.