Businesses must choose their partners carefully, and the choice of who to trust with background screening is no different. According to us at CredentialCheck, choosing a screening partner that is Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) accredited is a great start.
While researching their background screening company options, many employers may wonder, “Who screens the screeners?” The answer is the Professional Background Screening Association. Since 2003, this nationwide, non-profit organization has been committed to excellent performance standards and professional ethics in employment and tenant background check services. The association currently represents nearly 900 member companies, and accreditation with them is considered the gold standard in the industry.
To become PBSA accredited, firms must demonstrate ongoing compliance with professional standards via rigorous desk and on-site audits. These audits are conducted by a third party to ensure fairness. In addition, the background screeners must thoroughly document all of their relevant policies and processes to indicate their compliance with consumer protection, the law, client education, and other professional standards. PBSA accreditation lasts five years, with interim audits every three, after which screeners must undergo the process again to maintain their accreditation.
When a firm is PBSA accredited, clients can trust that its operations are in line with the best in its field. Furthermore, accreditation indicates that the firm is committed to full legal compliance, which provides important protection to the employers they serve. Finally, their background screening solutions will demonstrate a high degree of accuracy and timely turnarounds—and, thus, reliability as well. For these reasons and more, the experts here at CredentialCheck urge all employers to verify whether a firm is PBSA accredited before engaging with them.
