Pre-Employment Screening: A Complete Guide for Employers [2025]

Choosing the right candidate for a job requires careful consideration and evaluation.

Hiring someone without thoroughly evaluating their skills, qualifications, experience, and background could compromise workplace safety and expose your company to liability risks.

Pre-employment screening helps confirm the candidate you choose has the qualifications necessary for the job and will fit well with your company’s organizational culture.

This guide explains what you need to know about the process and what each phase involves.

What is Pre-Employment Screening?

Pre-employment screening is a comprehensive process involving assessments and background checks to ensure a candidate is competent, safe, and a good fit for the workplace culture.

What’s the Difference between Pre-employment Screening and Background Checks?

Pre-employment screening is broader than a background check, although background checks are included as part of the process.

Pre-employment screening includes practical or theoretical tests to ensure a candidate has the requisite skills and may be conducted at various stages: initially to identify candidates who meet basic qualifications, during interviews, and after interviews.

Background checks confirm the candidate’s identity and what they have reported on their application and resume.

These might include identity verification, criminal history, education verification, professional license verification, and other relevant searches.

Pre-employment screening and background checks are used together to help employers make informed hiring decisions and reduce liability risks.

Types of Pre-Employment Screening

Effective pre-employment screening may involve multiple checks to evaluate a candidate’s qualifications and suitability.

Pre-employment screening might include:

• Skills tests used to narrow the applicant pool
• Interviews to evaluate further the candidate’s qualifications and soft skills
• Additional skills tests to confirm their job-specific skills and knowledge
• Comprehensive employment background checks to confirm the claims they have made about their employment, credentials, and education and look for disqualifying criminal convictions

Hiring managers typically break pre-employment screening into the following phases:

Phase 1: Pre-Interview Screening

Pre-interview screening is useful to identify candidates who should be interviewed.

During this phase, HR professionals assess the applicants’ applications, resumes, and cover letters to make sure they meet the basic qualifications needed for the job.

When employers receive a large number of applications, they might use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for keywords, helping to identify potentially qualified candidates when many applicants have applied.

Smaller employers might choose to handle the initial application and resume review manually or might do so when they don’t receive a large number of applications.

Some employers include basic skills tests as a part of the application to ensure the resulting pool possesses the minimum skills needed for the job.

Once a candidate pool with minimum qualifications has been identified, the hiring managers will review the candidates’ applications, resumes, and cover letters more thoroughly.

These steps help HR professionals select a narrower pool of candidates who appear qualified for an initial interview.

Phase 2: Interviews

Interviewing candidates allows you to ask candidates questions directly about their qualifications, skills, education, experience, and interest in the position.

You can conduct initial interviews over the phone or by video chat to save both you and the candidate time and identify those to select for further interviews.

Some employers still conduct initial interviews in person, while other companies rely on staffing agencies and recruiters to complete initial interviews for them.

Once the most qualified candidates have been identified, you’ll want to schedule official interviews to select the candidate who has the necessary qualifications and best fits your workplace culture.

Official interviews allow you to thoroughly assess a candidate’s soft skills and ability to answer your questions and think on their feet.

Develop a set of strategic questions to ask each candidate during interviews. This allows you to compare their answers more easily.

You can use behavioral techniques to assess whether the candidate’s experience meets the job’s requirements and whether their character indicates honesty and ethical conduct and will help them fit into your company’s culture.

Many companies use panel interviews to interview finalists. These include multiple key personnel who each ask questions and assess the candidates from their perspectives.

For remote positions, some companies complete official interviews virtually through video conferencing software.

Post-Interview Screening

After interviewing the finalists, confer with your team if you conducted panel interviews to gather each stakeholder’s perspective.

Once a final candidate stands out, you’ll be nearly ready to make a hiring decision.

However, you’ll still need to complete a few checks:

1. Reference Checks

Create a list of reference check questions to gather more information, look for red flags, and confirm what the candidate said during their interview.

When a candidate receives glowing references during a reference check, some employers stop investigating and offer employment, but reference checks alone are insufficient to appropriately evaluate a candidate’s background.

2. Pre-Employment Background Checks

Background checks help identify potential issues and determine if the candidate is qualified, trustworthy, and safe.

A reliable third-party background check provider like iprospectcheck can complete thorough background checks that comply with federal, state, and local laws and enable you to make fully informed hiring decisions.

Choose searches based on the position’s requirements.

Employers often request the following:

Identity Verification

Background check providers start by confirming a candidate’s identity information to verify they are the person they claim to be and that the records they find belong to them instead of someone else with a similar name.

Criminal History

Criminal history checks identify any pending criminal case or conviction an applicant might have.

If your candidate has a criminal record, you’ll see the following details in the report:

• Criminal case number
• Offense date
• Offense type
• Offense severity (misdemeanor/felony)
• Disposition/Disposition date
• Sentence information (if available)

It’s important to note that a criminal conviction shouldn’t be an automatic bar to employment.

Instead, you’ll want to assess it individually as it relates to the job’s duties before making a final decision.

Education Verification

Education verification confirms what a candidate has reported on their resume and during the interview about their educational background and discloses the following information:

• Names and addresses of schools attended
• Attendance dates
• Whether a degree or diploma was conferred

Employment Verification

Employment verification confirms what a candidate reports on their resume and during interviews about their past jobs and the experience they have.

An employment verification report reveals the following information:

• Names and addresses of each past employer
• Employment dates with each former employer
• Job titles and positions held

Professional License Verification

If you’re hiring for a credentialed position, a professional license verification should be conducted.

Professional license verification shows the following information about an applicant’s license or certification:

• License/certificate validity
• License/certificate number
• License/certificate type
• Issuance date
• Expiration date
• Revocations or suspensions
• Other public discipline or sanctions

Motor Vehicle Records

Employers hiring drivers commonly ask for motor vehicle records (MVR) checks, which reveal the following information about the candidate’s driving record and license:

• Driver’s license number
• Driver’s license validity
• Driver’s license class
• License holder’s legal name
• License holder’s address
• License holder’s picture and physical descriptors
• License issuance date
• License expiration date
• Traffic citations
• Major traffic crimes
• Suspensions/revocations

Credit Checks

If the position involves access to the company’s or customers’ money, some employers request credit checks, which show the following information:

• Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio
• Available credit
• Payment history
• Collections
• Bankruptcies
• Employers’ names and addresses
• Other inquiries made about the candidate’s credit
• Other indicators of financial mismanagement or stress

Some states restrict pre-employment credit checks and may only permit them if your company qualifies for an exception.

Pre-Employment Drug Screens

Many employers ask for pre-employment drug screens when extending conditional employment offers.

A pre-employment drug check commonly looks for a candidate’s recent use of the following substances:

• THC/marijuana
• Cocaine
• Opiates
• Amphetamines/methamphetamines
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

Since marijuana has been legalized either recreationally or medically in a majority of the states, a few, including Washington State and California, have restricted the use of pre-employment drug screens for THC/marijuana.

Make sure you know the laws in your state before basing an employment decision on a pre-employment drug test that is positive for THC.

Legal Considerations and Compliance

Federal Laws

Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protects consumer privacy in information consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) collect, retain, and report to third parties.

It also governs what employers should do before and after requesting background checks from a CRA.

Under the FCRA’s seven-year rule, a CRA can’t report certain information older than seven years for jobs paying less than $75,000, including:

• Arrests that didn’t result in convictions
• Debt collection accounts
• Paid tax liens
• Civil lawsuits/judgments
• Chapter 13 bankruptcies (10 years for Chapter 7)

The seven-year rule doesn’t apply to criminal convictions or jobs paying more than $75,000.

It also doesn’t apply to other relevant information about a candidate’s background.

Employers must comply with the notice and consent rules by providing notice that they conduct background checks on a standalone form and obtaining written consent before initiating a search.

They must also comply with the adverse action process when they want to turn down an applicant based on negative information learned from a background check before making a final hiring decision.

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (FCA) is a federal fair chance hiring law.

It applies to federal agencies and companies that seek federal contracts.

Federal agencies can’t contract with companies that inquire about an applicant’s criminal record before extending a contingent job offer.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) prohibits employment discrimination based on an applicant’s or employee’s protected characteristics.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces this law and has issued enforcement guidance for employers about how to handle criminal history information revealed in background checks.

You must individually assess a conviction in relation to the job duties and workplace safety before basing a decision not to hire an applicant on that information.

State and Local Laws

Ban-the-Box Laws

A growing number of state and local governments have enacted ban-the-box laws, which control when in the hiring process you can conduct criminal history checks.

Make sure you know the laws in your state and community before asking a candidate about criminal history, and time your checks accordingly.

Salary History Ban Laws

A few states ban employers from inquiring about an applicant’s salary history during interviews or on applications.

Comply with any salary history ban that might apply to you.

Credit Check Restrictions

Some states restrict pre-employment credit checks and may only allow them if your company qualifies for an exception.

How to Conduct Pre-Employment Background Checks

1. Develop a Comprehensive Policy

Create a policy that discusses the screenings your company uses and the searches it performs for background checks based on the position’s authority level and responsibilities.

Your policy should comply with all relevant laws and include specific steps your HR staff will take during each phase of the pre-employment screening and background check process.

2. Train Hiring Managers

Thoroughly train your hiring managers on your policy, the relevant laws, and the steps they should take before, during, and after the screening and background check process.

3. Choose a Reliable Background Check Provider

Choose a reliable background check provider like iprospectcheck that is FCRA-compliant and quickly returns accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date reports.

4. Complete Interviews

Interview finalists and identify a candidate your team agrees would be a good fit for your organization.

5. Comply with Notice and Consent Rules

Notify candidates on a standalone form that your company conducts pre-employment background checks.

Obtain your candidates’ consent before initiating a check.

6. Choose Relevant Searches

Choose searches relevant to the job the candidate is under consideration for.

At iprospectcheck, we offer several packages and numerous add-on searches you can select to create a customized background check.

7. Review and Communicate the Results

When you receive a background check report, review it carefully. If you’re prepared to move forward, contact the candidate and tell them the good news.

Schedule onboarding and their start date.

If the results indicate the candidate has a conviction or other negative information in their background, move on to the next steps.

8. Individually Assess Convictions

Individually assess a conviction as it relates to the job’s duties and workplace safety before basing a decision not to hire the candidate on that information.

9. Complete the Adverse Action Steps

If you decide not to hire an applicant based on information learned in a background check, you must complete the following adverse action steps:

• Send a pre-adverse action letter, and enclose a copy of the report that contains the troubling information.
• Provide a reasonable response time for the applicant to submit evidence the information is wrong or that they have been rehabilitated.
• Send a final adverse action letter, and enclose a copy of their rights under the FCRA.

Trust iprospectcheck for Fast, Compliant, Affordable Pre-employment Background Checks

Comprehensive pre-employment screening, including background checks, can help you make better hiring decisions.

At iprospectcheck, we regularly conduct background checks for companies of all sizes across the US.

To learn more about our background checks and clinical services, contact us today: (888) 509-1979.

DISCLAIMER: The resources provided here are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Consult your counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.