Unlike any other method of background checks, we don't rely on the application for employment information. If you use the application as a starting point for your background investigation, you accept it as the truth. Our information comes from the companies which hire security officers and other authorized sources. We have the correct information in our database before he or she fills out your application.

How do I know the information Guardscreen sends us is accurate?

Because it's based on information supplied by official records. The Guardscreen registration form is already preprinted with your company's name and identifying information. The application provides their name and Social Security Number as a part of your application package. You already have to verify that this information is accurate because of the Immigration Law requirements and the I-9 form you must complete. Guardscreen means no additional forms for you to fill out.

Why should another company tell me about a less than perfect employee?

They're not telling another guard company, but they are passing information on to Guardscreen, a company protected by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Unlike direct employer to employer contact, they can do this without any fear of being named in a legal action.

Why should another company tell me if my applicant has a criminal record?

Conviction records are public records. There’s no liability in revealing to an interested and authorized party that someone has been convicted of a crime.

Can’t I get this same information on my own?

No. If you called all the contract security agencies in your area (or throughout the state) for each applicant you have, and asked if your applicant might have possibly worked there, and assuming that the person you’re calling:

1. is available;
2. has the time to search his company’s records for each applicant;
3. feels like doing all this research;
4. and will get back to you in a reasonable amount of time, you still would not get the whole truth.

Well, can’t I get this same information from a credit report?

No. Employment information from a credit report or employment application is based on information the applicant provides, which may not always be complete or accurate.

What if a person has a criminal record?

Many times, by the time the fingerprints or records come back from official sources, employees with criminal records have left one company and gone on to the next one. A Guardscreen verification will often reveal the problem before you hire such an individual and put your company at risk.

If I use Guardscreen, do I still have to send prints or cards to the State Police?

Yes. That’s required by law. But by using Guardscreen before you hire, you can save yourself the time and expense of processing a bad applicant. This means a savings in overhead dollars on processing and registration fees. We cross state lines to give you this information, something no state does.

How does it work? How do I get information on an applicant from Guardscreen?

When you have a new applicant, just have the applicant fill out the profile request form and fax the form to Guardscreen. Within a short time you’ll receive a Guardscreen Profile on the applicant.

Why do my applicants fill out your form instead of my employees?

Because it’s most efficient and accurate, and affords you the best protections under the law. Check with the people who process your applicants. They will tell you that they need help shortening the process, not adding to it.

What steps are taken to ensure my employee’s privacy?

The only way to obtain any information from Guardscreen is to produce a request for profile, signed by the individual. Guardscreen never has and never will make use of its database for any other purpose, nor will any information in the database be sold or released to any other company for any other purpose.

How do I know that my competitor(s) won’t try to recruit my employees from your profile?

Because the only way to obtain a profile is by sending Guardscreen the registration form. If your competitor is sending us that form, your employee has already gone to that company and applied for a position.

How do I know that you won’t reveal my employee information to someone else?

The only way to get a profile is to send us the registration form. And the only information on the profile is the applicant’s employment history within this industry. Guardscreen will not sell, rent or otherwise reveal this information, and each Client agrees it will use Guardscreen only for the express stated purpose.

How do I know that my competitor(s) won’t try to steal my clients?

They will, but it won’t be through or as a result of a Guardscreen Profile. All we require is your applicant’s name and Social Security number. Since we don’t know who your clients are, we can’t reveal that information.

Is there an annual membership fee or monthly minimum?

No. The only fees are those charged when information about an applicant is already in our database.

Do I have to obtain profiles on every applicant who walks through my door?

No. We request that you send in the profile request form for every person who fills out one of your employment applications, but you select which applicants you want profiled, eliminating those you’ve already disqualified.

What about my liability?

General Liability: A) Almost all standard employment applications give the prospective employer permission to conduct a background investigation. We provide you with a release and authorization for your applicant to sign. The information that you get from Guardscreen is protected under the Fair Credit Reporting Act under a provision that protects reporting agencies. This is a protection that you, as an employer, do not have when obtaining information directly from or releasing information directly to another employer. B) If you decide not to hire someone based on information received in a Guardscreen Profile because the profile didn’t match the application, it would be for falsifying an application. This constitutes legal grounds for dismissing or not hiring an individual. (You might want to double-check information on which you base a negative hiring decision.)

Liability/Privacy as pertains to addresses, unions or competition obtaining this information: none of this is applicable to a Guardscreen Profile.

Liability because of release of derogatory information resulting in an applicant not being hired: The information that you get from Guardscreen is protected under the Fair Credit Reporting Act under a provision [section 610 (e)] that protects reporting agencies, as long as the information is employment related and not malicious in nature. That’s a protection that you, as an employer, do not have when obtaining information directly from or releasing information directly to another employer.

Did we miss anything? Do you have any other questions? If so, please feel free to call, fax, or e-mail us.