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Certainly, getting the best background checks begins with partnering with a professional, reliable background screening vendor. These firms offer the expertise and economies of scale you need to make background checks work for your organization. But your efforts to get the most from your background screening dollars don’t stop here. With the help of key performance metrics, you can continue refining your process, improving the quality of your hires, and reducing costs.
Want to optimize your background check process? Here are a few places to start:
Time to Complete
Time to complete is a metric that measures the time it takes for you to get the candidate the required forms and for the candidate to provide their personal information and give their consent. Examining time-to-complete will help you identify delays and point you to ways you can improve the process. Basic things such as text alerts with reminders, simpler forms, and eliminating redundancies are changes you can make that will yield more efficient results.
Turnaround Times
Turnaround time is a measure of the time it takes to process a background check. Turnaround starts when a candidate gives their consent and ends when you receive the report for review. While speedy turnaround times are a way for you to measure the efficiency of your provider, understanding the many variables that affect turnaround times internally can also help you get better results. For example:
- Background check packages. The more screening components included in a background check package, the longer the screen will take to complete. Which screening component is the bottleneck? Can the issue be addressed? Do you need to alter your screening requirements? Are you ordering more screens than you need?
- The number of checks ordered. Are some of your departments or locations ordering more background checks than others? Are some hiring managers more likely to initiate certain screens? Implementing consistent screening policies will improve turnaround times and cut costs.
Number of Checks with “Hits”
“Hits” include issues such as criminal record findings, discrepancies in dates, unverified employment or education, or positive drug tests. If you are returning a high number of hits in your screening program, this requires consideration. Do you need to adjust your recruiting channels? Do you need to modify your adjudication rules? For example, suppose a high percentage of drug tests are coming back positive for marijuana and this drug is legal in your area. In that case, it might be time to reconsider including marijuana in your drug screening panel. Or you may determine that misdemeanors are no longer disqualifying.
The Bottom Line
You can boost your bottom line by making wise use of background check metrics. Partner with a vendor that offers a robust package of metrics and reporting tools so you can make the most out of every screening dollar you spend.