Your One-Stop Destination for Background Screening

We help HR professionals make smarter hiring decisions through effective background screening and occupational health & drug screening. We are a consumer reporting agency, and you may be familiar with our parent company, Alliance Risk Group Company, which was established in 2005.

We’ve taken on and conquered the challenges of high-volume hiring. SmartHRCheqs™ offers a proprietary approach to background screening with human expertise and dynamic adaptation as our top priorities. Our team of in-house licensed investigators and screening specialists collaborate closely with clients to understand their specific needs and industry nuances. This information is used to program our advanced, automated employment screening platform, and this personalization provides accurate, compliant results while delivering a great candidate experience.

SmartHRCheqs™ has a strong reputation for delivering accurate, reliable, and compliant background checks. With more than 30 years of experience in the investigative industry, we have a proven track record of serving clients of all sizes across various industries and of supporting all facets of risk mitigation.

Yes, SmartHRCheqs™ (SHRC) holds industry-recognized certifications, licenses, and accreditations, such as HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen recognition, SHRM continuing education certification, and private investigator licensing in multiple states, and all SmartHRCheqs associates have PBSA certifications. All of this demonstrates our commitment to quality, compliance, and data security.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how consumer information is collected, used, and disseminated. It outlines specific procedures for conducting background checks, including obtaining written consent, providing adverse-action notices, and allowing people to dispute inaccurate information.

For more information:

Fair Credit Reporting Act | Federal Trade Commission​ (Federal Trade Commission)​

Consumer Reporting Requirements (FCRA) | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau​ (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)

If an applicant disputes information on a background- check report, we must reinvestigate the disputed item and send a corrected report to the customer within 30 days. If we cannot verify the disputed information, we must delete it from the report.

A consumer report is a general report that includes information such as credit history, public records, and employment verification. An investigative consumer report is more comprehensive and involves interviews with neighbors, coworkers, or other sources.

If you take an adverse action (e.g., do not hire) based on information in a background check, you must provide the applicant with a pre-adverse-action notice and an adverse-action notice. These notices inform the applicant of the decision, the reason for the decision, and their rights under the FCRA. This entire process is built into the SmartHRCheqs platform, so you can manage it with a click of a button!

The Fair Chance Act was enacted to help qualified workers with arrest or conviction records be fairly considered for employment and to promote readapting them to the workforce. A series of state and federal laws were passed in various regions supporting this initiative. Ask one of our SmartHRCheqs team members how you may be impacted!

Great question! Basically, you’re the boss here. Decide if someone’s a good fit based on what you see. If something looks off – like a weird date or even a significant red flag outcome, or any red flag for that matter – feel free to chat with the candidate to get their side of the story. Just remember to follow those FCRA rules we talked about earlier, especially if you decide not to hire based on the report. It’s all about being fair and legal.

The treatment of expunged or pardoned records varies by state. It’s essential to research the specific laws in the relevant jurisdiction to determine how to handle these records. At SmartHRCheqs, we will only report information that can be used in the course of an employment decision. In most cases an expungement or pardon is removed from the candidate’s record and not reported in a final report if it is deemed expunged or pardoned.

E-Verify is a platform backed by the government (the US Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration) that enables employers to electronically confirm the employment eligibility of newly hired workers. SmartHRCheqs offers complete solutions to manage this process for all new hires!

Ban the box is a policy that has been enacted into law in many places, including in the federal Fair Chance Act, that prohibits employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history on initial job applications. The goal is to give people with criminal records a fair chance to compete for jobs based on their qualifications rather than being immediately disqualified due to their past. By removing the criminal history question up front, ban-the-box policies allow applicants to demonstrate their skills and experience before potential biases related to criminal history can come into play. Many states and municipalities have implemented ban-the-box laws, and the practice is also gaining traction in the private sector.

The legalization of marijuana, either for medical or recreational use, creates complex employment law challenges for companies with drug-free workplace policies. Employers should be aware of the following:

• Laws vary widely: Marijuana laws differ significantly between states and even within states, and regulations vary.
• Federal law still prohibits marijuana use: Despite legalization in certain states, marijuana remains illegal under federal law. This discrepancy creates a complex legal landscape for employers engaged in interstate commerce.
• Reasonable suspicion: Employers may still implement drug-testing policies based on reasonable suspicion of impairment. However, determining impairment can be challenging because the effects of marijuana use vary from person to person.

The healthcare industry has specific background check requirements related to patient privacy (HIPAA) and laboratory testing (CLIA). These requirements often include criminal background checks, drug testing, and professional license verification.

The financial services industry has stringent background check requirements to protect against fraud and other financial crimes. These requirements often include criminal background checks, credit checks, and regulatory licensing verification.

The transportation industry has specific background check requirements for safety and security purposes. These requirements often include criminal background checks, employment history with specific record requirements and qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and medical examinations.

Our pricing is based on the package and search components selected. We offer competitive rates and volume discounts for high-volume customers.

There are no setup fees or exclusivity requirements.

The cost of a background check is determined by the combination of searches included in the package. Additional fees may apply for expedited services or specific search components, including third-party pass-through fees.

ACH is our preferred payment method. We do offer other options, though. Contact our finance team to learn more.

All invoices are submitted to you electronically and are also available, along with payment options, through our customer portal.