Solutions > Small Business

Background Checks that fit Small Business Hiring

Simple screening solutions that are easy to use, quick to launch, and built for the way small teams hire.

You need a faster way to review key information without extra steps, long contracts, or tools built for enterprise teams.

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Why Background Screening Matters More When You Are a Small Business

Why Background Screening Matters More When You Are a Small Business

Every hire has a bigger impact
One misstep can affect operations, team dynamics, and customer relationships.

Hiring takes time you do not have
Owners and generalists often handle hiring. The process needs to be quick and easy to manage.

Hiring rules still apply
Small businesses still follow federal, state, and local requirements. Many work with legal counsel to guide their approach.

Budgets stay tight
Paying for tools you do not use is not realistic for smaller teams.

Speed matters
Strong candidates move fast. Slow turnaround times can cost you the hire.

Screening Solutions Small Business Owners Commonly Use

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Criminal Background Checks A common starting point to help review criminal history before a final decision.

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Employment verification Confirm where candidates worked, their role, and how long they were there.

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Reference checks Get insight into past performance, reliability, and work style.

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Identity verification Confirm applicant identity before the screening process even begins.

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Drug testing Support workplace safety with access to nationwide collection sites and no minimum orders.

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Education verifications Verify degrees and certifications listed by the candidate.

Customize your employment screening
Pay for the checks you need, skip the checks you don’t.

ID Verification

vID

Shield partners with Cerebrum to deliver a multi-layered biometric-based identity verification solution that provides a clear, verified foundation for background screenings.

SSN Trace

A social trace reveals the name(s), DOB and addresses associated with a submitted SSN. This product also indicates if the SSN appears on the SSA's death index registry. While the contents of an SSN trace do not appear in a report, we use this information as a pointer file to begin the first layer of a background investigation.

CBSV

This service verifies if the SSN holder’s name, date of birth, and SSN match SSA’s records. CBSV returns a match verification of “yes” or “no.” If records show that the SSN holder is deceased, CBSV returns a death indicator.

Fingerprinting

A fingerprint background check is a method of verifying an individual's identity and researching their criminal history by matching their fingerprints against criminal and civil databases, primarily the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). This process uses fingerprints collected via traditional ink or electronic "live scan" methods to search for a "rap sheet" of arrests, charges, and dispositions, along with other biographic information like name, date of birth, and residence. The check is used for employment, licensing, and other legal or personal reasons.

I-9

Hire with confidence and stay compliant. This essential service verifies both the identity and employment authorization for every new hire in the United States. It's not just a form; it's your assurance that your workforce is legally authorized to work, protecting your business from day one.

Driving & Transportation

Motor Vehicle Report

Query the state DMV repository to ensure the driver's license is current and valid. Get access to the date of issuance, status and restrictions, and available information about infractions and suspensions.

MVR Monitoring

Query the state DMV repository to ensure the driver's license is current and valid. Get access to the date of issuance, status and restrictions, and available information about infractions and suspensions.

Commercial Driver’s License Search (CDLIS)

This service provides known commercial driver's licenses and records. Includes confirmation of commercial status, expiration dates, restrictions and known previous licenses held.

FMCSA Clearinghouse

This service provides the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs), and State law enforcement personnel with real-time* information about drug and alcohol program violations involving commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders.

DOT Employment Verification

This service provides Department of Transportation (DOT) employment verification is a mandatory DOT background check on a driver prior to hiring. Verifies start date, end date, title, salary and re-hire eligibility.

PSP Report

This report provides crash and inspection history from the FMCSA records database. A PSP report includes a driver’s 5-year crash history and 3-year roadside inspection history. This includes all serious safety violations that are cited during an inspection. Conviction information is not included on the PSP report.

References & Verification Services

Employment Verification

Verify that your applicant's previous employment history was reported accurately. Includes the dates of employment, position held, rehire status, and salary (where available).

Professional References

Verification of an applicant's previous professional history. It can be tailored to address and identify key characteristics your organization supports, such as timeliness, creativity, completion of projects, and overall competencies.

Professional License Verification

Obtain validation of your applicant's certifications and credentials. Get access to hundreds of databases and organizations to prove that your applicant is licensed and certified to hold a position with your company.

Employee Credit Report

Get credit information on your candidates and evaluate their financial history to determine their ability to manage fiduciary responsibilities.

Personal Reference Report

Obtain insights into your applicants' integrity, character and essential traits to determine if they are a fit for your organization.

Education Verification

Verify an applicant's level of education, and cross-reference elements like dates of graduation, areas of study, and degree obtained (where available).

Social Media Screening

With just the right mix of software automation and experienced social media analysts, our social media search identifies a candidate's potentially problematic online activity and provides you with an FCRA-compliant report to use in your hiring decision.

Business Credit Report

This search provides business names including DBAs, Key Facts about the organization, Industry classification, corporate registration, corporate linkage, credit summary, banking, insurance, leasing, payment summary, collections summary, judgments, tax liens, bankruptcies, credit rating score, collections detail, inquiries, UCC detail, Corporate financial information & Industry benchmark report.

Credit Report

A name, date of birth and social security number-based retrieval of credit history for an applicant. Includes tax liens, collections, open accounts, accounts under bad debt collection, inquiries and date of birth confirmation. Restricted in many jurisdictions to applicants with specific fiduciary responsibilities.

Criminal Background Checks

National Criminal

Our system scours national, state, and county-level repositories to determine if an applicant has ever been charged with a felony, misdemeanor or major traffic citation. Includes sex offender registry searches and civil records, such as protective orders. Screen once upon hiring or regularly with ongoing monitoring to keep lawbreakers from infecting your company culture.

State Criminal Search

Misdemeanor and felony searches reported by state agencies, police, or the Bureau of Investigation. A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based criminal record search for a selected state's bureau of investigation records. Includes all available, reportable records, including felonies, misdemeanors and serious traffic violations.

Sex & Violent Offender Search

Check your applicant's name, SSN, and date of birth against all state and nationwide sex offender repositories.

Federal Criminal Search

This search is essential to discovering convictions of federal crimes. These records are not filed at county or state courts. Because federal criminal records have limited identifiers on file, a name search is conducted first, followed by a more in-depth review of court files to obtain additional identifiers.

Continuous Monitoring

Provide real-time or regular, automated updates on an employee’s criminal records, driving violations, or license status post-hire. Unlike one-time pre-hire screenings, this approach reduces liability by alerting employers immediately to new arrests or convictions, enabling proactive risk management.

County Criminal Search

In-depth misdemeanor and felony search/most accurate up-to-the-minute data directly from county courthouse records. A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based education verification for institutions located outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that institution's system.

Federal Civil

This service provides federal civil records indicating if actions were filed against an individual.

Drug, Alcohol &
Occupational Health Screenings

Drug & Alcohol Testing

Get access to a wide range of drug and alcohol testing services and seamlessly implement them into your recruiting process. Includes both high-level testing and in-office testing for all industries.

Health Screening Services

Occupational Health Services, BAT and Physicals.

Breath Alcohol Testing

A breath-based alcohol test for applicants in post-accident or suspicion-based testing – DOT and Non-DOT testing available.

Immunization & Vaccine Record Tracking

Manage and track employee immunization and vaccination records. This service simplifies compliance for health and safety mandates, providing a clear, centralized view of your workforce's status.

OIG Inspector General Sanction

Protect your organization from serious compliance risks. This search checks the Office of Inspector General's list to identify individuals and entities excluded from participating in federally funded healthcare programs. Hiring a sanctioned person can lead to significant penalties.

FACIS®

A check of over 800 sources from all 50 states for fraud and abuse within the healthcare field. Includes a list of disciplinary actions ranging from exclusions and debarments to letters of reprimand and probation. If an applicant is banned, the FACIS III® report will alert you.

Healthcare Exclusions Monitoring

Compliance is not a one-time check. This service provides continuous monitoring of federal and state exclusion lists to ensure your healthcare employees remain in good standing throughout their employment.

Worker’s Compensation Report

This service provides workers' compensation records for a selected state. Includes all available, reportable information, including filings, settlements, compensation, and representation.

International Searches

Global Watchlist

Database searching across thousands of sources, including terrorist watchlists, OFAC, DEA, ATF, Interpol, sanctions searches, etc.

International Criminal Search

Criminal search options are available in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Search options include either repository searches or direct searches of law enforcement agencies, government offices, and courts.

International Credit Report

An identity-based credit report for an applicant from a country outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that country's credit system.

International Employment Search

A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based employment verification for institutions located outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that institution's system.

International Education Verification

A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based education verification for institutions located outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that institution's system.

OFAC

This service can help confirm if a candidate is a potential threat to national security and if they are allowed to do business in the United States. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list of designated nationals and blocked persons is commonly referred to as the terrorist watch list. This check includes economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy primarily against countries and groups of individuals, such as terrorists, narcotics traffickers, recreating weapons of mass destruction or anyone who could threaten national security.

International MVR

Verify driving qualifications on a global scale. This search checks international motor vehicle records to confirm the status and validity of an applicant's driving license outside the United States. Screen international hires who will be driving for your business, have a clean record and meet your safety standards, no matter where they are from.

Built for Small Business Reality

No minimums. No hidden fees. No unnecessary steps.

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Pay only when you run a background check Order what you need, when you need it. No monthly fees or volume requirements.

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Quick to get started Set up your account and begin ordering without long onboarding processes.

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Easy for candidates Applicants complete authorization through a secure, mobile-friendly link in minutes.

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Clear reporting Results are easy to read and understand, even without a dedicated HR team.

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Support When You Need It Get responsive help when questions come up.

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Seamless ATS and HCM Platform Integrations Available

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Hire With More Confidence. Without Added Complexity.

Get the information you need to move forward with hiring decisions faster.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Employment Background Checks

01

Do I need a minimum number of background checks to use Shield Screening?

No. There are no minimums. You can order one background check or one hundred.

02

What do I need to do before running a background check?

Under the FCRA, you are required to provide a clear disclosure to the applicant that you intend to run a background check and get their written authorization before doing so. You are also required to follow adverse action procedures if you intend to take negative action based on the results. We recommend reviewing your process with legal counsel.

03

How do I know which background checks to order?

Start with your legal counsel and consider the nature of the role, your industry, and your location. Shield Screening's team can walk you through the available services, but the decision on which checks are right for your roles is yours to make.

04

How long does a background check take?

Most criminal background checks return within 24-48 hours. Employment and education verification can take 1-3 business days, depending on how quickly sources respond.

05

What is the most important check for a small business hire?

We recommend speaking about your pre- and post-employment screening processes with your HR or legal team.

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