The National Association of Professional Background Screeners, Inc. (NAPBS) is an organization that facilitates and promotes professionalism within the background screening industry. NAPBS holds two national conferences a year whereby hundreds of background screening companies send their representatives to learn about the latest industry trends, review best practices and learn about the ever-changing legal landscape of background screening. NAPBS actively engages our elected officials in Washington, and various individual state elected officials, on behalf of employers to make sure our elected officials are properly informed about the benefits of background screening and making sure the employer can obtain the necessary information its needs to make an informed hiring decision.
In its effort to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, NAPBS created the Background Screening Credentialing Council (BSCC). The BSCC established a number of clauses (standards) that a background screening company must adhere to in order to become an accredited company. These standards relate to best practices within the profession, as well as adhering to all the legal aspects of performing background screening services. Engaging in the accreditation process is voluntary and any background screening company can apply to become accredited. The vast majority of background screening companies are not accredited. To date, there are just over 100 background screening companies accredited by the BSCC.
Mere application to become accredited is only the beginning of the accreditation process. The essence of accreditation means the background screening firm has been subjected to the rigors of both a desktop audit and an on-site audit, verifying compliance with all of the clauses and confirms the company’s adherence to all laws related to the industry while incorporating best practices.
The on-site inspection involves sending an inspector to the company’s location(s), reviewing the company’s policies and procedures, making sure they comply with the clauses, and verifying that the company is conducting its business according to the clauses by requesting specific documents to prove compliance. The BSCC clauses cover areas concerning information security, legal compliance, client training, researcher and data standards, verification service standards and business practices.
Working with an accredited background screening company ensures that the company is providing you with the best screening services while adhering to all of the legal standards applicable and best business practices. An accredited firm means you can be assured that your background screening company has been subjected to all of the rigors required by the BSCC as well as adhering to all of the requirements set for by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and applicable state laws.
The author of this article is not an attorney and offers no legal advice. The contents of this article should be reviewed by your corporate attorney before taking any action based on its content.
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