When you are an employer hiring an employee you want to eliminate any uncertainties regarding the prospective employees background. This includes information about education, driving history, social security verification and criminal history. Pre-employment screening allows an employer the chance to decide if a person applying for a position is trustworthy and capable of handing the position he or she is applying for.

In order to do a pre-employment screening the employer needs to get permission from the prospective employee to go ahead with the research necessary to do a background check. This should be in the form of a signed document that the employer keeps for future reference. Whether your business is large or small pre-employment screening can help you avoid lawsuits and hiring mistakes. These days, security concerns, corporate scandals, and workplace violence have made pre-employment screening almost mandatory. Through a process of testing, background checks and drug tests, employers can determine the background and the identity of a new employee. Today, over 96% of Human Resource professionals do background checks on new employees. It helps to minimize liability for your company and saves millions of dollars in potential lawsuits.

However, when any company does a background check, they must comply with the Fir Credit Reporting Act and the American With Disabilities Act. Any prospective employee must sign a disclosure form granting permission to perform a background check. Laws vary according to states in what information can be gathered. Some states do not allow certain information about a person's criminal record as part of a background check. Also under the ADA, employers are limited in using data relating to a potential employer's medical or disability information.