Ensure High-Quality Hires
Conducting background checks gives you confidence that you're picking the right people for the right roles and building a qualified, trustworthy team.
Are you a new or current customer with a question about Church Mutual or a specific coverage type? We're here to help.
Background checks are comprehensive screenings conducted to verify an individual's background, including criminal history, employment history, education credentials, references and other relevant information. These checks involve accessing various databases, conducting interviews and reviewing official records to assess an individual's suitability and credibility for a particular role.
The purpose of background checks is to provide organizations with a deeper understanding of an individual's background, mitigate risks associated with potential misconduct and ensure a safer environment for the organization, its employees, volunteers and the community they serve.
In today's world, conducting background checks is more important than ever before. With criminal incidents increasing among organizations like yours, background checks are no longer just an option, they're essential. A well-designed background check process will keep your organization a safe place to work, volunteer and participate.
Youth abuse prevention: This issue is felt by all organizations – both big and small, urban and rural – throughout the country. Conducting background checks through the nationwide sex offender registry greatly reduces the possibility of a convicted sex offender becoming a volunteer or employee at your organization.
Theft and embezzlement: Your organization has a lot of hard-earned assets on the line. Checking those who handle money can help reduce your risk of direct losses from activities such as theft, fraud or misappropriation of funds.
Transportation: When you allow people to operate any vehicle on behalf of your organization, you must make sure they are safe and responsible on the road. Your organization should verify whether their motor vehicle record (MVR) makes them a desirable candidate.
Reputation: Certain types of incidents can damage an organization’s reputation by losing the public’s trust and eroding donor support or government funding. Background checks can demonstrate your desire to protect common interests and ensure your organization is doing its best to prevent crime.
Safety: Background checks will help your organization identify people who demonstrate risky behaviors such as criminal activity, sexual offenses, money management problems, lack of qualifications and poor driving history. Limiting these exposures can help create a safe environment and prevent future accidents.
There are several different options available:
Minors, refugees, new immigrants and others might not have verifiable records available for background checks. In these cases, you can ask for references from sponsors, teachers and other organizations they've participated with, such as youth groups. Refugees and recent immigrants should be asked to provide you with names and contact information for Homeland Security officials who dealt with their cases.
Background check procedures must be in place to help protect people within your organization. Church Mutual recommends that you conduct a background check for anyone who works or volunteers with children, the elderly, vulnerable populations, money or transportation.
The type and depth of background checks you order is at your organization’s discretion. Those who have greater access to your organization’s assets or vulnerable groups require a more thorough and intensive background check process. Church Mutual offers predetermined background check packages available through Trusted Employees to help aid in the selection process.
It is always important to conduct background checks prior to making an offer and routinely throughout employment or volunteer service.
Initial: When you're considering someone new for a position, whether paid or volunteer, a background check will help verify information they provided on their application. It also will provide potential vital information the applicant did not disclose.
Annually: Employees and volunteers are not likely to voluntarily reveal any criminal charges or other risky behaviors. This makes periodic background checks necessary to identify potential risks. It is recommended that criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks and motor vehicle reports be done annually.
