Background Search By SSN

I own a small accounting firm in Cleveland, Ohio and we have always been a sort of family-run business. Even though most of my employees are not actual family members, I have never had to run a Social Security number check on any of them.

I mention that because a few weeks ago a friend of mine and fellow business owner got hauled into court because he reportedly had not run a Social Security number check on a former employee. As it turns out, this former employee had a history of sexual harassment in the workplace and even had an arrest on his record.

But because my friend also ran a small business, he had a penchant for possibly trusting people a bit too much. Well, to make a long story short, this animal harassed a pretty young receptionist, who subsequently quit and later filed suit against my friend, her boss.

And although she was quite fond of him, she still felt that he had failed to do his job as an employer by not performing a Social Security number check. The court eventually agreed with her and awarded her a judgment that instantly put my friend out of business… for good.

From that day forward, I have always conducted a thorough Social Security number check on any serious job applicant that walks through my doors. However, because I am a small business, I must take advantage of the most cost effective options. That often means going online and using a freelance background check agency.

These agencies are really nothing more than websites that give you the ability to search their extensive databases for a nominal fee, often only ten or twenty dollars. For this I receive a complete background report on my Social Security number check.

Though this method is far from perfect, it is not only one of the cheapest, but also the fastest. On average, you will receive you Social Security number check in only a few minutes. By comparison, a criminal background check performed by the police department will often cost you two to three times as much and take at least a week or two.

The most important information included in these reports is the basic criminal check that will tell you if the person you are interviewing is a known felon or a fugitive from justice. A Social Security number check will also inform you if the person you are considering for a position in your company is a sex offender.

Although I have never encountered a person who has been anything less than truthful in their interviews, I do know other employers who have caught applicants in lies. Of course, most of these do not involve criminal records or pasts. But since the Social Security number check also searches for financial information, it is possible to investigate previous addresses, bankruptcies, and even government liens. Does this information keep me from hiring a qualified applicant? The answer is… it depends. What I am really looking for, of course, are serious violations or criminal histories.

Find out more about Social Security Records Online and read about Tips for Background Search by Social Security Number