If you are in the position of managing or supervising volunteers, it’s important to make sure that you’re providing them with the safest and most welcoming environment possible. One way to ensure that you are doing so is by performing background checks on all of your volunteers. Background screening reports will tell you about the volunteers themselves, including their employment history, criminal history, education level, and references from former employers and colleagues. With this information in hand, you can make an informed decision about whether or not to accept someone as a volunteer in your organization.
Who Should Be Screened?
Anyone interested in volunteering should be screened. This can be volunteers, sponsors, or anyone else looking to help. The screening process may seem like an excessive hassle for people with good intentions and a solid work ethic—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it. At best, you’ll turn away volunteers with bad intentions, which are people you definitely don’t want to trust around your organization.
The Benefits of Background Checks
Background checks can verify an applicant’s identity and weed out potential problems—like criminal records, sex offender registrations, and any other red flags. All-volunteer organizations should use background checks as a way to help protect their volunteers, staff, and clients. It is important to remember that background checks do not guarantee anything about an individual; they simply provide information that allows you to make informed decisions about whether or not someone is right for your organization.
Should I Go with a Third Party or Do My Own?
Hiring a company to conduct third-party background checks can save a hiring manager or HR professional hassle and possible errors. It’s also possible for background screening companies to discover information that individuals might miss in their investigation of potential volunteers. For example, many companies screen against a national sex offender registry that was not available for public use until recently, but has since been updated regularly with new information on those convicted of sexual crimes.
What Can Volunteer Background Checks Accomplish?
Volunteer background checks can accomplish a great deal. First and foremost, they can safeguard your clients and assets by confirming that volunteers have a clean criminal record and are fit for your program. They also secure continued funding (i.e., grants) by helping you avoid potential liability lawsuits and alleviate risk as a result of volunteer mistakes or misconduct.
What Should the Typical Background Check Include?
A criminal background check is a required part of any volunteer screening, but additional checks may also be needed depending on your organization’s particular circumstances. These include motor vehicle records (for those who will drive), sex offender registry and, in some cases, drug testing. It can be intimidating for an organization to request such personal information from volunteers and employees, but these checks help maintain a safe environment for everyone involved.
What’s Next? Finding the Right Company.
It’s our mission to help keep organizations safe. As such, we take volunteer screening seriously. We implement methods that are both streamlined and thorough, including background checks, fraud checks, and even social media screening. Our goal is that your organization will benefit from a stable and safe volunteer base without sacrificing its efficiency or structure. Visit our website to get in touch with ACUTRAQ today!
Give us a call!
Give us a call 888.361.7036, visit us on social media, or shoot us an email. ACUTRAQ has over 70 years in combined experience partnering with diverse organizations to safeguard their investments. Background screening is not just another service to us – we help businesses and organizations work smarter and grow faster. Earning the trust of over 12,400 satisfied customers, we help employers, property managers, property owners, community organizations and many others get the crucial information they need to make the right decision. We provide fast, accurate reports to you and your organization – Because We Care.
