Background checks have become an essential part of the hiring process for thousands of businesses worldwide. However, while background checks are effective for revealing information about someone, sometimes this information is not enough. This is where adjudication comes into play, and it’s the process of making the results of someone’s background check easier to match with company standards.
That said, it’s not always easy to create an adjudication background check process. Fortunately, we’re here to help you learn about adjudication background checks and how they benefit employees and employers. Read on to learn more below.
What Is a Background Check?
A background check is a process that a company or government agency uses to ensure that someone is who they claim to be. Background checks also reveal information about someone’s history or personal life.
These background checks are designed to help companies filter out bad fits for jobs. For example, someone with a DUI is going to have a harder time getting a job driving a school bus because of background checks.
What Are the Types of Background Checks?
There are several types of background checks. Depending on the type of job you’re applying for, the background check process will vary.
Examples of background check types are listed below.
- Driving records background checks
- Criminal records checks
- Fingerprint checks
- SSN verification
- Sex offender registry information
- Federal background checks
- Military background checks
- Immigration background checks
There are other types of background checks as well, but these are the most common examples.
What Information Shows Up on a Background Check?
Background checks reveal a lot of information about someone. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), the following information will likely appear on a background check regardless of your state.
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Social security information (SSN verification)
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Criminal records
- Traffic violations
- Probation, jail time, or community service deals
Companies use many types of background checks, so your results may vary—it all depends on where you’re applying.
What Is Adjudication?
Many companies have an employee screening system. An employee screening system is a way to evaluate if an employee is a good fit for the company. It’s also important to note that background checks are essential for many large corporations in the United States.
As for adjudication, it’s a blanket term for how a company compares a background check to its screening report. Essentially, the company has a checklist for potential employees, and adjudication is checking to see if the potential employee’s background check matches the company’s hiring philosophy.
A great example of this is someone who wants to drive a truck for a hauling company. If their traffic records show a history of speeding and reckless driving violations, companies can use that information to remove them from the hiring pool.
How Does Adjudication Work?
Adjudication is a simple concept that’s executed in two separate ways. Some companies will manually go through the results, while others will use a third-party or automation software. For example, companies that screen applicants manually will review a background check report and compare it to their hiring criteria.
On the other hand, companies that use automation will filter out a larger number of prospects before manually looking over the rest. Automation systems will automatically flag things like felonies, driving incidents, and other things that show up on a background check.
Do Companies Disclose Their Adjudication Process?
Most companies will disclose their adjudicated background check process. So it’s a great idea to research the company or agency you’re interested in working with. Understanding the type of adjudication background check they have can help you determine if the role is a good fit. So, you can save some time by being proactive.
Why Adjudication Is Important
Most companies have adopted some type of adjudicated background check. Understanding how this process helps companies will help you prepare for a background check and job interview. Below we cover the primary reasons for adjudication systems.
Streamlined Hiring Process
Companies with an adjudication process have an easier time hiring employees, instead of going through all of the records on their own, adjudication filters out employees that get flagged for issues on a background check.
While a traffic violation might not mean much to a school teacher, truck drivers must maintain a clear record. Therefore, with adjudication, something that wouldn’t typically get flagged will be easier to find.
Equality
Equality is another reason companies have adjudication processes. Equality is a major component because discrimination in the workplace leads to hefty fines and diversity problems. When companies have an adjudication process, everyone is treated fairly based on their background check results.
Documentation
Another reason for adjudication is documentation. Companies love data, so it allows companies to evaluate the types of people they hire and make adjustments. Moreover, documentation enables companies to keep better records of their employees. Overall, having clear documentation of company processes makes everything easier for everyone.
Consistently and Hiring Laws
Every state has the right to create its own hiring laws. Because of the vastly different laws throughout each state, this can make the hiring process for national companies difficult. To avoid breaking state laws, companies create adjudication processes to avoid overlooking quality candidates. Ultimately, this prevents fines and ensures fairness among applications regardless of location.
There are also certain laws that focus on specific industries. A great example is the childcare industry, which doesn’t allow felons to work with children. While there are exceptions, companies will use an adjudication process to remain compliant with federal and state laws.
How to Check Your Background
The best way to prepare for a background check is to run a background check on yourself. When you run a background on yourself, you’ll learn about what shows up on the report. Therefore, you’ll be more prepared for any questions that come up. Also, it allows you to be honest and upfront about potential things that get flagged on the report.
If you want to run a background check on yourself, the best tool to use is Information.com’s people search interface. Information.com makes it easy to look up information about almost anyone. All you need is your full name, address, and phone number for the most accurate report. However, it’s also possible to get results with only a name.
When you run a background check, you’ll typically uncover the following information:
- Full name and middle initial
- Address and alternate addresses
- Past addresses
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Social media accounts
- Dating profiles
- Traffic violations
- Court records
- Crime records
- Jail sentences
- Sex offender status
Information.com uses public records databases to source information. So, whatever you find on Information.com will also be found on the background check. This is how it helps you prepare.
Final Thoughts
Adjudication is an integral part of the modern background check process. Companies can verify employee traits and records directly against what companies need from employees. Having an effective adjudication process saves employees and employers, time, money, resources, and legal problems.
