Pre-employment background checks should be a vital part of the hiring process for Connecticut employers. The accuracy and caliber of the Connecticut background check you rely on will determine whether you are able to hire workers who are vetted, qualified, and safe.
When conducting a background check in Connecticut, you must adhere to all local, state, and federal laws and regulations that control pre-employment background checks and the use of those results in hiring decisions.
You must have a comprehensive understanding of the laws and regulations governing Connecticut background checks for employment, as well as the resources necessary to gather the information from authorized sources, as will be covered in more detail below.
Federal Laws on Employment Background Checks
The two most important federal laws that apply to pre-employment background checks in Connecticut and all other states are the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
A state-level background check fosters trust by offering an easy way to gather information on criminal histories from all over an area. With some limitations, Connecticut employers can use these checks in their hiring decisions to more thoroughly screen candidates for positions within their company.
The Fairfield, Hartford, New London, and New Haven counties, as well as the rest of the state, are included in the main criminal database for the state, which is maintained by the State Police Bureau of Identification. The report contains details on convictions, sentences, and arrests.
What Shows Up on a Connecticut Background Check?
Depending on the capabilities and resources of the third-party CRA that gathers the information on a potential candidate, a Connecticut employment background check may include as much information as is legally permissible and necessary.
Employers in Connecticut typically ask for reports on applicants’ criminal histories, prior employment histories, educational backgrounds, and professional credentials.
Connecticut criminal history
You will be able to see the following details about the offense or offenses if an applicant’s pre-employment screening turns up information about their criminal history:
- Jurisdiction in which the record was made
- of the case
- Defendant Charge
- Date of filing
- Resolution Offense level, such as misdemeanor
- Date of disposition
- Sentence
Past Employment
On job applications, some candidates exaggerate their prior employment histories to give the impression that they have held positions of greater authority than they actually have or that there have been no gaps in their employment.
You can confirm the information provided by your job candidates by asking for an employment verification. This kind of report will list every employer an applicant has worked for, the dates of employment there, the positions held there, and the job titles held there.
Verifying an applicant’s employment history can help to reduce the risk of negligent hiring.
Education and Credentials
When you request an education verification report, you will be able to see each institution an applicant has attended, his or her attendance dates, and any degrees, diplomas, or certificates he or she earned.
Checking the professional credentials of an applicant can help you to make sure that your applicants have the licenses required to perform their jobs and that their licenses are current and valid.
Education verification can help to ensure that you hire qualified and trustworthy employees.
How to Get a Background Check in Connecticut
Employers in Connecticut are permitted to request information about criminal histories from the Connecticut State Police by submitting requests to the State Bureau of Police Identification.
Employers must go through the Department of Developmental Disabilities when hiring candidates to work with individuals who have developmental disabilities.
Employers must either mail requests for fingerprints from applicants or require applicants to submit fingerprints by appointment only in order for the State Police Bureau of Identification to provide criminal history information.
Employers can use the DDS CTSAFEHIRE system when hiring candidates to work with people who have developmental disabilities.
These criminal background checks won’t give you all the details about your applicants that you might require. It will provide criminal history data from Connecticut, but it might not provide data on offenses committed in other jurisdictions.
Additionally, these searches won’t reveal a candidate’s employment background, educational background, credentials, or other crucial pieces of information.
Some employers attempt to do their own background checks on candidates by searching the internet or attempting to gather information by getting in touch with numerous state agencies, past employers, and educational institutions.
This method can take a lot of time, and you might not get all the information you require.
Working with a trustworthy third-party employment background screening business like iprospectcheck, backgroundchecks, ctinvestigativeservices, ctoec, is the best way to complete Connecticut employment background checks.
By keeping in mind these tips on Connecticut background check methods, you have a solid chance to a positive result. Try following them and find the information you are looking for.