Background Checks for Staffing Agencies
You are the employer of record. Your clients trust your vetting. Your candidates trust your process. A single bad placement can cost you a client, expose you to negligent hiring liability, and put someone at risk.
SecureSearch delivers comprehensive, FCRA-compliant background screening built for staffing agencies — covering pre-placement screening, on-payroll temps, and direct-hire candidates — with no setup fees, no minimums, and a dedicated team who understands how staffing works.
Why Staffing Agencies Carry Unique Screening Risk
Most background check providers are built for direct employers. Staffing agencies are different — you carry dual liability in every placement, and a screening failure affects not just your agency but every client who trusted your vetting.
- You are the employer of record — FCRA obligations apply to your agency, not just the end client, for every candidate on your payroll
- Speed pressure creates shortcuts — the push to fill roles fast leads agencies to rely on instant database checks that miss county courthouse records, federal courts, and alias names
- Inconsistency multiplies liability — different recruiters running different searches on different platforms means your process can’t hold up under scrutiny
The hard truth: When a placed candidate harms someone or commits fraud at a client site, the plaintiff’s attorney looks at your screening process first. “We used an instant check” is not a defensible answer — and it won’t protect your client either.
Negligent hiring claims against staffing agencies are rising. Courts have held agencies liable both as the employer of record during placement and as the party responsible for the initial vetting decision. A single lawsuit — or a single lost client — can dwarf the cost of doing screening right from the start.
Who Needs to Be Screened
Every candidate your agency touches — regardless of placement type or duration:
- Temporary and contract workers placed at client sites
- Candidates being pre-screened before client presentation
- Direct-hire candidates for permanent placement
- On-payroll employees pending employer buyout
- Healthcare, financial, and executive placements with elevated risk profiles
- Drivers and CDL holders placed in transportation roles
- Candidates with multi-state or multi-county address histories
- International candidates with overseas employment history
Two Use Cases. One Screening Partner.
Staffing agencies screen candidates in two fundamentally different situations — and most providers only handle one well. SecureSearch is built for both.
Pre-screening before client presentation: The searches must reflect the role the candidate is being presented for. A candidate going to a financial services client needs different searches than one going to a warehouse. We help you build role-specific packages so the right searches run automatically every time.
On payroll until employer buyout: The candidate is your employee. Your screening standard is what protects you if something goes wrong during the placement period. Consistent, thorough screening across your entire roster is the only defensible position.
Our FCRA-certified Client Advocates will help you build a process that covers both — with Gap Coverage Request (GCR) handling criminal searches automatically, and role-specific packages for everything else.
Use Case 1
Pre-Screening Before Client Presentation
Screen the candidate before presenting them to a client. Searches are tailored to the role and the individual — their history, their name aliases, and every county they’ve lived in.
Use Case 2
On Payroll Until Employer Buyout
The candidate is your employee during placement. Consistent screening across your entire roster is your protection — and your clients’ protection — if anything goes wrong.
Not All Background Check Companies Are the Same
Most instant background check services leave dangerous gaps. Here’s how SecureSearch protects staffing agencies differently — and why it matters for your placements, your clients, and your reputation.
| Feature | Instant / Cheap Services | SecureSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Alias name & address history searching | ✗ Rarely included | ✓ Every search, always |
| County courthouse criminal searches | ✗ Not included | ✓ Every address, 7 years |
| National Federal Courts search | ✗ Rarely included | ✓ Yes — all 94 districts |
| Human validation of every criminal record | ✗ Automated only | ✓ Every record, every time |
| FCRA Level II Certified staff | ✗ Rarely | ✓ All staff certified |
| Dedicated account team who knows you | ✗ Call center only | ✓ Your dedicated team |
| Role-specific packages for different placement types | ✗ Not available | ✓ Built for your roster |
| FCRA adverse action guidance for placed candidates | ✗ On your own | ✓ We walk you through it |
| SearchMyBackground™ — candidate self-entry | ✗ Not available | ✓ Free with every account |
| Setup fees / monthly minimums / contracts | ✗ Often required | ✓ Never |
As Easy as 1-2-3
Getting started with SecureSearch takes minutes — not days. No contracts, no setup fees, no minimums.
Open Your Free Account
Takes 5 minutes online. No paperwork. No contracts. No credit card required.
Send a Screening Request
Enter a name and email. Your candidate gets a secure link to enter their own info and sign FCRA consent forms.
Get a Clear, Validated Report
We handle everything. You get a comprehensive, human-reviewed report ready to present to your client.
What Our Clients Say About SecureSearch
“SecureSearch has been wonderful to work with over the years. Their website is self-explanatory and easy to use, the results come back quickly, and if I need another item added to my in-progress search, I can just reach out and they take care of it right away. The customer service team is super responsive to any questions or concerns I have. They are top notch and I would highly recommend their services to other employers and HR professionals.”
“I wanted to express gratitude for the outstanding customer service and follow-up. You are patient, you explain processes well and your responses come so quickly. You truly stand out above any company I have dealt with.”
Rosemarie V., Director of Staffing — Corners Outreach“We are an organization with multiple sites and the ability to run all background checks with a consistent process throughout the United States is amazing. The team has been very helpful and accommodating to adjust processes to better fit our business model and needs. We are excited about our continued partnership with SecureSearch.”
Jill H., Manager of Strategic HR Initiatives
