Are Background Checks Necessary?

The importance of applicant background checks and employment verification was made clear by a survey that revealed 8.3 percent of all job applicants have criminal records, while 3.3 percent test positive for illegal drugs and 26.4 percent have discrepancies in their reported past employment. Additionally the survey, conducted by InfoLink Screening Services, revealed that more than 40 percent (41.6 percent) of job applicants have unreported Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) information.

The survey relates the percentage of job applicants, by industry, for whom negative or derogatory information was uncovered during the pre-employment screening process. It analyzed January through June, 2005 "hit ratios" for job applicants. Background check areas range from criminal records and DMV violations, to education and drug testing.

Industries in the study include: automotive, business services, construction, finance, food services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, non-profit, real estate, retail, staffing, technology and transportation. Applicants in the automotive, retail and food services industries were found to have the highest criminal record percentages. Further, applicants in the transportation, business services and automotive fields had the highest "hit ratios" for drug testing.