As a small business owner, you want to find the best employees in the shortest amount of time. That means you not only need to make sure you’re thoroughly vetting job applicants but that you’re using efficient and reliable tools.
There are various ways to perform a background check depending on your needs and timeline. They can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks, and for most employers, the sooner the better.
Waiting. Waiting. Still waiting for results...
According to a 2018 HireRight employment screening benchmark report, the top pre-employment screening pain points felt by small business are speed and efficiency
So it is important that you understand that some kinds of background checks can be fast and others can be slow. So, what kind of timeline can you expect? That depends on the service you use.
Traditional background check services offer a variety of reports but can take several weeks to return results. This impacts your ability to hire the right person quickly. On the other hand, online screening options can offer a quick, comprehensive view of your applicant’s background.
One option for near-instant online employment background checks is TransUnion ShareAble for Hires. We’ll go more in-depth at the end of this post, but ShareAble uses a unique process for screening that is able to deliver credit, criminal, and ID verification records in minutes.
Why Is It Important to Complete a Background Check Quickly?
You want the fastest turnaround possible when screening candidates. The cost of an unfilled position can quickly add up through losses in productivity, and great candidates may also be snatched up by competitors if the screening process takes too long.
According to a Bersin by Deloitte survey, it costs an average of $4,000 to fill an open position, but the hidden costs can increase total costs even higher. Combine the time spent interviewing and onboarding with the loss of productivity, and the overall cost of your unfilled position can quickly skyrocket.
Add a time-consuming traditional background check into the mix and you’re looking at steadily increasing costs—in time, money, and your sanity.
Why do Traditional Background Checks Take So Long?
A traditional background check can take longer than you might expect. Unfortunately, it’s common to wait weeks for reports to be snail-mailed to you. Why so long? It depends. Numerous factors can extend the timeline of results in a traditional background check.
Hassles to get started
Even some online background check companies can cause delays. Some have an onerous application process or tedious paperwork to get started. Or require that you call them to have a conversation with a sales person. You’ll need to wait while application gets prioritized and then reviewed. It is possible that your application can get rejected. All of this adds time until you can get reports.
Inaccurate Forms
Many times, delays in the background screening process are due to employer error. If the background check request form isn’t filled out accurately, you’ll have to start back at square one.
Inaccurate Identifiers
A job candidate may go by a different name than what you’re searching. For example, if they list their nickname instead of legal name on the application, the background check may provide incorrect or insufficient results.
County-Level Criminal Checks
One of the most time-consuming checks that can be performed is a manual county-level criminal record search. This type of check requires a person to physically visit a courthouse to view criminal records and can take as long as 30 days to return results.
The Amount of Information Returned
Employers looking to fill positions that require extensive screening may wait longer because of the volume of information needed. More reports mean more times.
How Long Does a Background Check Take with ShareAble for Hires?
The short answer? Minutes.
ShareAble for Hires removes roadblocks for small businesses who want to screen job applicants quickly and fast-track your hiring process.
Other screening solutions might require applications from small business to get started. Some applications get rejected due to ineligibility. Other solutions require you to talk with a salesperson to establish an account. A business might have to wait hours or days until they are authorized to screen.
ShareAble is different. It gives you immediate access to screening tools. It doesn’t have an application process. It’s designed to be made available for all SMBs whenever you need it.
- No complicated application process
- No back-office requirements that disqualify you
- No need to call to create your account
- No delay to start screening now
Sign-up to transaction is fast and screening can be completed same-day. Thousands of SMBs have successfully screened with ShareAble.
Once your applicant grants permission to have their information shared, TransUnion ShareAble for Hires delivers reports directly to your inbox, helping you make quicker hiring decisions. Vetting candidates needn’t slow down your company’s productivity and progress.
How Do I Use ShareAble for Hires?
ShareAble patented consumer push process changes the game and speeds up delivery of reports.
Unlike traditional screening in which an employer pulls an applicant’s consumer report, ShareAble for Hires allows job applicants to “push” their reports directly to the employer. This process enables the employer to receive results in minutes and also meets the permissible purpose requirement.
The “push” process from ShareAble for Hires gives small businesses direct access to screening reports. This dramatically speeds up the process and delivers critical information fast to the employer to make a decision quickly, even enabling them to make a hire on the spot.
With this process, job applicants control how their background information is used. With ShareAble, employers and job applicants alike safely share, verify, and protect sensitive personal data that must be evaluated.
The ShareAble process is made simple and easy
After a small business employer creates their free account, they give ShareAble the job applicant’s email address. ShareAble then notifies the job applicant about the screening invitation.
The job applicant consents to screening, enters their personal information into the system, TransUnion verifies their identity, and reports are delivered in minutes to both employer and applicant.
Because the applicant authorizes to share their data, they become stewards of their personal information. Consumers are empowered by being able to share their data with whom they want, when they want. The end result: ShareAble makes the hiring process faster and gets job applicant start work sooner.
Because the process is completed entirely online, you receive accurate results in just a few minutes rather than a few days or weeks.
ShareAble for Hires’ employer dashboard enables you to manage all of your screening application in one convenient location so you can stay organized. Easily track the status of different applicants and view their screening results in one place.
Solving the top pain points for small businesses
TransUnion’s ShareAble for Hires solves the top employment screening needs of small businesses.
You don’t have to sacrifice accuracy for speed. ShareAble for Hires pre-employment screening is backed by TransUnion, a trusted credit reporting agency that’s been keeping consumer data secure for nearly four decades.
Proven Screening, Powerful Reports
Get trusted reports directly from TransUnion.
Credit Check
Do you need to understand how an applicant handles money? ShareAble for Hires credit reports contain important information about your applicant’s financial status, including payment history, potential bankruptcies, and the amount of debt they hold.
Criminal Background
Worried about the safety of current employees and clients? Our criminal reports scour nearly 300 million national and state criminal records, taking information from Most Wanted Databases, the National Sex Offender Public Registry, and more.
Identity Verification
Want to be sure your applicant is who they say they are? ShareAble for Hires’ built-in applicant identity verification gives you confidence that you’re screening the right person. Your Ramesh Patel is the Ramesh Patel you see in the reports.
Stay compliant with local and federal laws
ShareAble for Hires provides consumer reports that comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) guidelines. Results comply with the latest laws and regulations governing consumer reporting agencies.
Start Screening
The hiring process can be lengthy when you consider the amount of time it takes to post a job, read resumes, interview candidates, check references and screen. But with the right pre-employment screening tools, you can confirm your hiring decision sooner.
Employers looking to make a great hire should take advantage of pre-employment screening services that look deeper into a candidate’s criminal, employment and credit history.
ShareAble for Hires offers convenient and affordable employment background checks for small business employers who want top-quality employees.
Millions of small businesses screen job applicants with ShareAble for Hires. Improve your chances of landing reliable employees by making ShareAble a part of your hiring process.
