Sterling Talent Solutions Releases Ground-Breaking Study: “Employment Background Checks: Survey of American Citizens”

In the world of background screening we often hear a lot of mixed feelings. While some people believe they are worthwhile, others feel as though they are a waste of time – potentially causing roadblocks to securing a job or causing more harm than good. However, we wanted to take a different approach. Instead of trying to guess how consumers feel on the subject, we decided to conduct a survey to discover the reality when it comes to this controversial topic.

We partnered with Kelton Research to design the study, all focused on a simple thought – how would consumers feel if we eliminated background screening? Being the first study of its kind in the industry, we didn’t know what to expect. We worked with Kelton Research, who conducted the research on our behalf, and surveyed more than 1,000 Americans who were statistically representative of the population. The results may surprise you.

Over the next few weeks were are gradually going to be releasing more blog posts to take a deeper-dive into all facets of the research, but want to share six key findings right away. Here’s what we discovered:

• 95% of Americans think background checks should be mandatory to determine whether a person has a criminal background before he or she takes on the responsibilities of a job.
• 81% of Americans believe that feeling safe at all times is their right and the workplace is one of the top two locations where they expect to feel safe.
• Safety pervades the top-five topics survey respondents identified as “most important to be discussed in the presidential debates this year.
• 68% of Americans surveyed indicated that they are willing to undergo background checks themselves demonstrating that it is not just something they believe should be in place for others.
• 78% expect to feel safe at their workplace, second only to their doctor’s office (83%).
• 65% believe that background checks provide them with a sense of safety in the workplace.

As you can see, an overwhelming number (95%) of Americans believe that background checks should be mandatory to determine if a criminal background exists prior to starting a job. While this may come as a shock to some, it supports a simple fact – background screening is more relevant now than it has ever been.

Consumers are putting their trust in companies, demanding that they have done their homework when it comes to hiring people with whom they may interact. Whether it’s interacting with co-workers in the office or letting a new contractor into your home – consumers expect mandatory background checks. In fact, we even discovered that more than one-third (37%) of respondents said they’d be willing to give up use of their smartphones for one year to ensure their safety. In a mobile-everything world, this fact is astounding and really drives the point home.

If you’re unsure of where to start, Sterling Talent Solutions is here to help. Our comprehensive suite of cloud-based background screening and onboarding solutions deliver accurate, reliable results and tools to maintain compliance throughout the hiring cycle. Our team is here to help.

Get instant access to our report and all of the findings from the study.