Why Background Firms should not contact an applicant directly

Some employers or recruiters want background firms to contact an applicant directly if there is a need to obtain additional in rank or to clarify in rank from an applicant.  If this has always crossed your mind as an employer or recruiter, you might want to reconsider. 

Employment Screening Resources (ESR) generally recommends against having background firms being paid in the middle of that special link linking the Recruiter and the Applicant.  It makes confusion, causes delays, and brings a background screening firm into discussions with the applicant – who may not even realize that a third party is involved. 

From many years of experience, ESR knows that background checks really go much quicker where the recruiter exclusively manages the preside over applicant link and obtains additional in rank when needed.  

This issue of applicant contact can come up in a number of ways.  

First, if a recruiter is submitting faxed orders instead of using the ESR online solutions, recruiters must know the process can be delayed if orders are sent that are indecipherable or incomplete. For example, screening firms regularly face problem in deciphering an applicant’s handwriting as to past employers or a Social Security Number. An eight and a three can straightforwardly look alike.  In view of the fact that a screening firm is not expected to read hieroglyphics or be a “mind reader,” the screening firm has to contact the recruiter to clarify the in rank. Some screening firms will make their best guess and if they are incorrect, the report is delayed even further, proving the ancient adage that “no excellent deed goes unpunished.”  Recruiters who review all applications for completeness, legibility and accuracy with the candidates before sending the applications to a screening firm will find their report is concluded much quicker.

Another example is an incomplete employment verification because the past employer has went, merged, or gone out of business.  If the recruiter still needs that to be verified, then someone needs to contact the applicant and question for things such as W-2’s, or names of past supervisors.  There are some recruiters who question their background firm to do this, even though it is the recruiter that has most knowledge about the applicant and has preside over contact.  

There are a number of complications that arise if the screening firm attempts to contact the applicant. 

1.  The applicant does not know the background firm, and is naturally loath to supply a Social Security Number or date of birth to a weirder over the phone, or send pay stubs to someone they do not know.  That typically means the applicant will naturally call the recruiter first anyway to find out what the situation is all about, which, of course, delays the screening process further. 

2. The background firm regularly has to engage in phone tag, requiring back and forth before the screening firm can connect with the applicant.  In view of the fact that the applicant has no link with the screening firm, an applicant does not always realize it is vital to call back, especially if the applicant is looking at several different job offers.  On the other hand, if a recruiter is in hot pursuit of an applicant, or the applicant is focused on being paid the job, it is likely that the recruiter will have a fantastic deal less problem being paid in touch with him/her to obtain the additional in rank or clarification. 

3.  The third issue is tracking.  The screening firm needs to track the status of the additional calls to the applicants and to deal with manifold applicants instead of a single top of contact.  Recruiters presumably already have an ATS or some other system to keep tabs on the progress of all job and all finalist (in view of the fact that typically only a finalist is being paid screened).  

4.  The last and most vital issue is when a screening firm calls the applicant, an applicant may now believe that the background firm is in some way involved in the hiring choice.  There have been applicants who have wanted to pocket up again selling themselves to a background firm’s clerical employee, whose only mission was to obtain some missing in rank and who knows nothing about the job.   Or, if the applicant in some way feels that background employee did not give them the attention he or she deserved, the applicant may be left with a negative impression of the potential employer or complain about the contact.   

For these reasons, many background firms typically prefer not to get themselves in the middle of the link linking the recruiter and the applicant.