Do Temp Agencies Do Background Checks?

When you sign up with a temp agency, are you going to have to submit your info for a background check? Is that the normal status quo with job agencies?

The question comes up over and over when you ask people what they are curious about regarding temp agencies. Many people are afraid of having to undergo a long and invasive interview process just to sign up with a temp agency.

And then of course there are people who don’t want to go through a background check because they have something in their past. These people are concerned that they might sign up with a temp agency and end up having to take a background check and being found out.

However, not all temp agencies run background checks. And even those that do run background checks differ in how they process them. And finally, even those agencies that do run background checks don’t necessarily run them on all applicants.

Why Do Temp Agencies Do Background Checks?

So, why do temp agencies do background checks in the first place?

Well, there are lots of reasons. And it’s not free, so there must be a good reason. Depending on the state and jurisdiction, a background check can be quite expensive.

First, let’s make it clear that anytime a staffing agency spends money it’s for a good reason. It’s not because they are trying to be nice. In most cases it has to do with protecting themselves from legal issues.

Temp agencies, after all, are the ones who are the legal employers of the temp staff that work for the company. If a temp agency sends a criminal to a company to work as a temp, and that temp commits a crime, then the staffing agency is going to be held liable.

Another reason why temp agencies do background checks is to make sure that the applicant is not a potential threat. Because, many companies hire temp agencies to screen out potential problems.

There are various laws surrounding the hiring of criminals, but one thing is clear: companies do not want to hire a criminal. So, when they use a staffing agency, they expect the agency to have done some sot of clearance on their potential employee.

Remember, while you and your friends and families might be solid citizens, trust me, most recruiters will attest to having interviewed burglars, and even more violent criminals. So, temp agencies do have a real reason to check a person’s background check to make sure they are not a risk.

Do All Temp Agencies Do Background Checks?

No, not all agencies do background checks. The reason that a temp agency does a background check has all to do with what their clients request.

The more common requests for background checks come from clients in the Medical field, or in the facilities field. These industries are more prone to attracting individuals with prior criminal records, so it’s important that the companies are assured that the Nurse, or Patient Care Tech, or porter is not someone with a long string of violent offenses on their record.

Offices seeking administrative assistants are less likely to process background checks because it’s less common. They tend to review resumes and see if there were substantial career gaps (which often times can be indicative of incarceration). This, however, tends to be seen in non-professional settings. Hence the reason that medical staff and labor type jobs (warehouse, drivers, porters, etc..) tend to run background checks.

However, many places don’t run background checks. The more prestigious or established the agency, the more likely it is that you will be asked to submit your info for a background check. Some shady agencies that operate around the country don’t run background checks, but these are places that are not working with high end clients.

Reputable clients tend to avoid working with these agencies because they will not have access to dependable workers. There is also the risk of running into actual hardened criminals that will hurt someone while working on the job as was the case with a temp agency that subcontracted work to a shady staffing agency who hired a criminal who ended up attacking a woman in her apartment.

Will They Run a Background Check Right Away?

It depends on the role that you’re applying for. As a rule, no. The only times that background checks are done right away is for sectors such as drivers helpers, warehouse, day labors, and other immediate openings.

The agencies that operate in these spaces churn through an enormous volume of people and it’s imperative that they process as many background checks as possible to have a reliable number of available and credentialed workers at the ready for when a job order comes in.

So, if you are looking for work as a truck driver, warehouse worker, day laborer, or other sort of labor job where you might be expected to hit the job site within a day, then you should expect that the firm will run a background check upon meeting you.

In order to run that background check they will ask for certain personal information. This information includes your social security card number, your full name and also your current address.

Many people are hesitant to give that info over to a temp agency, but realize that if you are to be paid they will need that information anyway. Legitimate companies all pay you and take taxes out. If you’re working with a company that for some reason pays “off the books”, the consider that they are operating in all other manner of illegal ways (no background checks is a virtual guarantee) but also realize they might end up not paying you.

Remember, with the information that you use to fill out an I9 and a W4 (the documents needed to work legally for a temp agency) a background check could be done. So, the firm will need that information anyway if you ever want to work with them.

Can Staffing Agencies Share Background Checks?

No, a staffing agency can’t just decide to share background checks without consent. However, when you approach a staffing agency and sign up with them, part of that paperwork is normally a consent form.

Part of the paperwork for most agencies is going to be a waiver that allows them to run a background check and then share it with potential clients.

If they didn’t have the ability to share background checks, then it would be a problem. When medical staff, for instance, walk into a hospital the hospital will want to make sure that the Nurse has not been disciplined and lost her license or arrested for some crime in recent months/years. And they don’t just trust staffing agencies to run checks, they want to see them for themselves.