Most pandemic-related background check delays have been largely caused by closures of the courts, government offices, DMVs, businesses, colleges, and universities that background check professionals must contact to collect background check information.
While many county courts have online databases that allow from-a-distance criminal record searches, others require those searches to be completed in person at the courthouse. Since many county courts closed due to the pandemic, these background checks were temporarily impossible to conduct.
Similarly, verifying employment history or educational credentials is a step that involves contacting the business or institution listed on a candidate’s resume. These communications were also rendered more difficult by the pandemic, with many entities closing their offices, downsizing their staff, or sending employees home to work remotely. As a result, employment and education checks were more difficult to conduct than usual and typically involved at least some delay.
Even with stay-at-home orders relaxed and businesses reopening, many pandemic-related restrictions are still in place. Courts have mostly reopened, which means that delays for criminal background checks will be minimal or absent going forward. However, many businesses are still operating on a work-from-home basis, which could mean ongoing delays for verification checks. The best thing that employers can do at this time is to be patient. At MyHRScreens we are working to process background checks as quickly as possible, because we know that our customers rely on these checks to make smart hiring decisions.
Feel free to email us directly to klewis@myhrscreens.com or ccooley@myhrscreens.com, if you have any questions about how the pandemic might impact your background check process.
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