10 years ago, I started asking service oriented businesses whether they conduct background checks since their service was primarily conducted at their customer’s home ? The response I received was shocking. There were a few reputable businesses conducting non “at source” checks but the vast majority answered in this manner. “Dave, if I conducted background checks, I would lose half my staff!”. What started as a concern evolved into sheer terror in that the owners admitted they were privy to their
workforce having felony and misdemeanor records, or, at the very least suspected they would have something in their past which would prohibit their participation in the workforce.

 

I assured a background check would benefit both the customer and owner alike and, unfortunately, with instant social media and countless news cycle repetitions it would only take a couple high profile incidents to ignite public scrutiny. That day has arrived. My wife had the Today Show on while we hurried to get ready for the day and one of the top stories profiled a heartbreaking story of a contractor who assaulted their young child . It turned out she hired a reputable company for general repairs in their home and in walks a convict who served a lengthy term for sexual assault on a minor. The reporter went on to list close to a dozen headlines of similar offenses which recently occurred in multiple states. The
plea was for a Federal law which may or may not come to pass but, in the court of public opinion it only takes one unfortunate event to destroy lives and, ultimately, a company’s reputation.

 

I am not intending to be melodramatic and, actually, I am probably minimizing the horror which can occur within a household if the wrong person is trusted to enter our homes without giving it a second thought. The solution for this is to get out in front of this issue and put together a background check protocol at your company or, as a consumer, demand your contractor shows proof their employees are screened by a company who performs “at source” background check. The biggest obstacles for employers include the above example but finances are the main culprit and it doesn’t have to be this way. Advanced Background Check has performed millions of “at source”