When it’s time to work with a Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) for your background screening needs, it’s imperative you look for this seal of approval:
This badge represents the 47 screening firms across the United States who have tested and passed a rigorous certification outline by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). Active Screening has recently earned this prestigious accreditation.
This accreditation proves Active Screening’s commitment to several core screening industry fundamentals:
- Strict adherence to compliance laws like Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Ethical business practices by everyone from management to court researchers
- Outstanding consumer protection and privacy rights, including Personal Identity Information (PII) confidentiality
- Continuing education on screening industry trends and available technologies
- Compliance with national and international regulations
- Promoting the screening industry’s mission
NAPBS started its accreditation program for two reasons, as it states on its website:
1.) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wanted more regulation of CRAs. The federal government already oversees a large portion of the compliance laws CRAs must follow like EEOC and FCRA, but the FTC felt it was necessary to create an internal accreditation effort so screening companies can be held accountable to each other and promote best practices.
2.) Screening companies may operate within a variety of processes and standards. This is not helpful to the industry’s reputation, it is confusing to customers, and it doesn’t assist lawmakers in making decisions to better protect CRAs and its clients. Many screening companies felt it was in the industry’s best interest to standardize the methodology in how a firm can be considered a quality CRA.
This is all fine and great for the screening industry and those accredited CRAs, but we’re guessing you’re more concerned with what this means for you as our client.
You will get best-in-class quality. NAPBS doesn’t just hand out accreditations. A company has to demonstrate its worthiness. Case in point: Active Screening had to show its compliance with 58 clauses covering topics like ‘Data Security’ and ‘Client Education.’ It’s pass/fail. Only then does the auditing process begin. Translation = accredited firms deliver quality that’s unrivaled by other non-accredited companies.
Your privacy matters. You can have the latest and greatest technologies in data storage and encryption, but if you haven’t properly vetted, trained and educated your employees, nor have you implemented a standard operating procedure when it comes to handling PII, then it’s all for naught. With an accredited screening company, you are assured of its commitment to, and excellence in, protecting your sensitive information.
You will stay within the confines of the law. When it comes to compliance, no one performs better than an NAPBS accredited screening company. These federal and state laws are extensive and ever-expanding. There is almost NO WAY you can stay on top of all these laws and nuances but you are guaranteed that an accredited agency is doing just that and will continue to do so in the future. Furthermore, accredited agencies in conjunction with NAPBS, are committed to ensuring lawmakers understand the screening industry and its challenges and work together to enhance the industry for end users.
What advantages have you enjoyed while working with Active Screening? What would you like to see in the future? Leave your comment below and we’ll make sure it gets to the right people.