Companies hire people so that they can increase their turnover and profits, but hiring the wrong person can mean loss of output and some times scare away the customers. While hiring decisions are usually taken on basis of interviews, the duration of the interview is usually less than an hour. If the candidate is a good actor, he or she may be able to impress the interviewer or interviewers and get selected.
The past history of a candidate is much harder to fake, especially if her or she has a poor credit record or has been imprisoned. This is why many companies will run a background check on the candidate before making a job offer. A criminal background check is usually mandatory for positions where the employee will handling sensitive information like credit card or bank account information. Companies hiring customer service agents working as independent contractors will also run a criminal background check to see if he or she has been convicted by any court.
A criminal check can be obtained online at websites like SentryLink for as little as $19.95. By providing the first and last name of the person, results can be obtained by searching more than 200 million records in less than 60 seconds. Date of birth is required for Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) purpose.