One Size Fits All? Not Really.

It’s January, the holidays are in the rear-view and my earrings still fit. Okay, it’s an old joke. You can groan.

Do your background checks still fit?

Are you still using that antiquated, one-size-fits-all plan that you bought into years ago? Or worse, just inherited from your predecessor?

Have you considered if it still fits in 2026?

I have a client that for years ran a social security trace and statewide criminal searches. It worked great when their work force was mostly 18–19-year-olds that wanted to work in a hip pizza joint.

Fast forward to 2025. They opened a new restaurant, with a different theme. Sold alcohol. Older crowd, older employees.

I suggested they add federal court searches and throw in a sex offender search for a nominal fee.

We see more hits with the new restaurant; older applicants have had more opportunities to rack up a criminal record. My client feels better that they are getting a more full-throated picture of their applicants.

What about you? You might consider:

· Expanding your search. Are you getting county criminals? Are you getting a federal court search?

· Changing the background check requirements depending on the position. You may want different searches for your district managers than your janitors than your cashiers.

· And here’s a big one—are you sure about what youare getting? I’ve had a couple new clients recently that learned they weren’t getting what they thought they were. Usually for a cheap price, and it was not worth what they were paying for it.

I’m always available for a consult if you want to explore what you need in pre-employment screening. Grab time on my calendar here: https://calendly.com/ann-ceverify/30min

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