Brace for impact – 5 reasons a background check might be delayed

Traumatized is probably too soft a word when describing our reaction to the famous Weather Storm Uri which slammed into Texas on February 13, 2021. Well, almost one year later winter is coming yet again, and we’re bracing for impact! A huge Artic cold front is expected to roll into Texas today with 48 hours of below-freezing temperatures, snow flurries and sleet. As our team at GroupOne Background Screening has stated in past blogs, it’s usually a good idea for your company to have an emergency disaster plan in place in case of such extreme weather events.

So, as we prepare for today’s storm, we began considering reasons a background check could possibly be delayed. Please note, we have no plans to be late with any of the background checks requested by our clients. Every day an important position goes unfilled is a day your company isn’t operating at full potential. When delays take place in the background screening process, it can be frustrating. Here are five common factors that could lead to the unfortunate delay of your background checks.

1. Weather Delays
While many processes are automated, there is no nationwide database of all the information needed for an accurate background check. Oftentimes, GroupOne relies on researchers and local offices to obtain the complete report. If these offices are unexpectedly closed due to inclement weather, requests can go unanswered until the staff returns.

2. Inaccurate and Incomplete Data
When employers and candidates make mistakes or provide only partial information, such as entering an inaccurate social security number or misspelling a name, the entire screening can be delayed. In many cases, these oversights are not detected until midway through the process, pushing your check back to square one. To avoid such problems, please advise your data entry team and applicants to be careful entering all information. Good information yields fast results.

3. Changing Federal/State Regulations
The laws surrounding background checks vary from one region to another, leading to extra quality control if your candidate has a connection to multiple jurisdictions. For GroupOne, navigating these regulatory issues without creating a compliance violation is a must as we put our expert touch on every single report, ensuring only compliant information is reported back to you.

4. Outside Party Delays
Regardless of the speed of our GroupOne team, as a consumer reporting agency (CRA) we are often at the mercy of outside parties. For example, previous employers and colleges may not respond to our requests in a timely manner, regardless of the attempts made. When such delays take place, we will keep you posted throughout the process.

5. Court Record Access
Though many jurisdictions offer online portals to seek out criminal history information, there are still many counties and states that do not. This means a researcher may need to hand over a list of names to a clerk and the clerk has to pull files – sometimes a slow process. Many courts have also cut staff, with searches only taking place a couple of days a week. Believe it or not, several states still utilize snail mail. Over the past 30 years, our GroupOne team has forged great relationships with the courts and their clerks. But take it from us, clerks do not like to feel rushed. If such delays take place in these “slow” locales, we will keep you posted throughout the process.

Delays can be frustrating. We get it. But GroupOne never settles for a second-rate process that cuts corners. We take pride in offering accurate background checks to clients no matter company size or industry. To learn more about our services, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

And stay warm out there!