Do you need a system in place to verify your potential new hires' backgrounds? A background check can be an important part of the hiring process. You probably want to hire people who are truthful about their past employment and who don't have serious skeletons in their closets, such as violent crimes or financial mismanagement. The problem is that applicants can tell you almost anything on an application or in an interview. While most of your applicants are probably honest, you'll still want a process in place so you can be sure. Here are three different ways you can go about verifying your applicants' backgrounds:

Handle it internally. This is a popular method for many small businesses. When you're close to making a hire, you simply call their references and former employers to verify that their resume checks out. If you only hire new employees sporadically, then this may be your best options. However, if you're hiring a large number of employees, you likely don't want to tie up your time with checking backgrounds and verifying employment.

Also, you may want more than just employment verification. If the employee will be handling company money, you may want to do a credit check, which would likely be difficult for you to do without third-party assistance.

Use an online background service. There are plenty of websites that can quickly provide background information for a very small fee and in a matter of minutes. You just put in the person's name and Social Security number and pay the fee, and the site gives you a thorough background report, including credit and criminal history.

While these services are effective, they can lead to problems. The biggest is that these services aren't usually designed for employment verification. That's important because most states have laws that restrict what employers can check during the hiring process. It's very likely that a quick online search could provide you with criminal or financial information that you're legally not supposed to have. If you do use an online service, make sure you're aware of your state's laws and what information the site will provide.

Background check service. The most effective method may be to establish a relationship with a background check company. While some aspects of this may be done online, you'll likely also have over-the-phone and maybe even in-person service. Your contact at the background check company can help you determine what information you need and how to stay compliant with your state laws. Also, they can give you any forms or disclosures that you need to provide to the applicant before the check takes place. In short, they handle the entire process, so you can be confident that the verification was done correctly.

For more information, contact a background check company like Fingerprinting Pros.