A criminal background check is something to consider when hiring a new employee.  According to the Society of Human Resource Management, these days about two-thirds of employers run criminal background checks on potential new hires. There are many reasons why running background checks before hiring should become part of your process, here are just a couple:

First, you can feel confident that you are providing a safe work environment for all current and future employees.

Also, in the unlikely event that one of your employees becomes involved in illegal activity, you will have proof that you performed your due diligence when hiring the individual, which will help to mitigate your legal liability.

The best way to incorporate this step into your hiring process is to find a reputable agency.  If you work with an HR consultant, you may want to ask them for a recommendation.

Once you’ve hired an agency, the process of obtaining a background check is pretty simple. Most agencies require the candidate to fill out a form that asks for basic information as well as their consent to have the background check performed. That should be all they need to run a basic check.  Depending on the type of background check, you often can have the results back the same day.