Background Screening

"Proper screening saves time and money for your organization. We provide added assurance on the candidates you select."

Why do background checks?
Know who you are hiring by verifying the validity of the information reported on an application, such as; employment history, degrees obtained, criminal record and credit history. Background checks round out the interview process by providing organizations the most complete picture of an applicant being considered. We offer the following services nationwide:

Criminal Background Checks
Ardor suggests that every criminal record investigation begins with a social security trace to verify where an applicant has lived over the last 7 years. The trace will also identify any aliases used by an applicant.

Ardor then searches at the highest court in the County for any misdemeanor or felony convictions. Reported activity is given for the last seven years, but older convictions will be reported if required and/or available.

The information reported for the criminal records searched will include: court, case number, and offense, date of offense, charge, and any disposition or special conditions.

Wisconsin search results are usually returned the same day unless further research is required to validate an arrest or conviction. Out-of-state searches are returned within 24-72 hrs. Ardor has national researchers that pull information at the county level. Results are uploaded to the server several times a day.

Court access fees apply in certain areas. Please ask your sales representative for the most recent list.

Federal criminal records can be obtained at the district level. Reported activity is usually limited to seven years, but 10 year searches are available upon request for specific industries. Statewide criminal record searches are also available; however, Ardor recommends a county level search for the most accurate record search information.

Employment Verification
Current and/or previous employers are contacted based on an applicant providing a "yes you may contact" on an application or release form.

Based on a previous employer policy, information reported can include: start and end dates, position title, compensation and eligibility for rehire. Factual information is obtained from Human Resources, Payroll or Benefits departments.

Ardor will make every attempt to obtain termination and/or disciplinary action information within a file. Signed release forms allow for this information to be released by an organization; however, company policy may override this attempt.

Ardor works to return this information to a client within 24-48 hours. Several attempts are made during that time frame to obtain all information. Ardor works against the clock for delivery of information, rather than number of attempts made to contact an employer. It is possible that a researcher may contact an employer up to five times to deliver within the deadline. Efforts are exhausted after the 48 hour time frame. Our client is not charged for a failed attempt.

Employment References
An applicant may provide professional references on an application or a separate reference form.

Ardor will contact references to verify: performance, skills, dependability, and growth areas. A rating scale is used to measure the effectiveness of each area. References must then validate their rating through a behavioral questioning approach. References are asked a series of open-ended questions that guide them through the process of recalling actual experiences. Our staff is trained in behavioral questioning to obtain the most accurate assessment information.

Education Verification
Academic institutions are contacted for verification of degree obtained. Verification of the most significant academic event reported can also be obtained upon request. This may include GED, high school diploma, college or advanced degrees.

Credit Check
Ardor provides information from one of the major credit bureaus for reporting credit activity from time of first reported trade or as legally permitted. Information reported includes: public records, collections, trades, inquiries, and consumer statements.

Credit reports can also verify accurate spellings or A.K.A. names, social security number, current and previous addresses, and former employers. Screening obtained is in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Credit checks may be necessary for a potential employee assigned to fiduciary responsibilities and/or sensitive positions. This information may inform a company of an applicant's ability and sense of responsibility for handling finances.

Credentials
Ardor will verify specific professional or occupational licensing required to perform a task.

Drug Screening
A 5 or 10 panel urine screen analysis can be preformed at collection sites on a national level. Services include: collection at participating patient service centers, laboratory analysis, and medical review services.

Negative results are returned within 24 hours of a collection. Positive results are usually returned within 24-72 hours due to a comprehensive medical review of results and/or additional analysis.

Chain of custody forms can be made available at each company location for distribution to the applicant. Ardor can also mail the forms to applicant(s) with the nearest collection site location.

DMV
Ardor obtains a copy of the applicant's state driver's license record directly from the states Department of Motor Vehicles.
Note that availability and legal uses of the reports vary from state to state.

Social Security Trace
The Social Security Trace reports the past seven years of where an individual has lived. The list of previous addresses can be used to determine what counties to perform criminal record searches. This search does not verify that a social security number (SSN) belongs to an individual, but will provide results of an invalid number or numbers that have been recorded within the Social Security Administrations death databases.

Other Services
Investigative Services; Ardor is a licensed investigative agency within Wisconsin. For more details, please go to the Investigative services section of our website.

Don't see what you were looking for? Then please contact us via the email address given in the "contact us" tab of our website for additional services.

We offer secure online search requests for added convenience.
Please contact us for login capabilities.