Review of Private Sector Personnel Screening Practices

The present study examined the sources and methods used by private organizations for conducting applicant background checks. The goal of this research was to identify potentially advantageous screening practices that could be used in the Department of Defense (DoD) Personnel Security Program for conducting national security background investigations. A total of 82 companies completed a brief screening questionnaire, 54 of those companies answered additional questions, and 22 companies participated in interviews. This study found little evidence to indicate that private sector investigative sources or methods would be useful to the DoD for conducting national security background investigations. The federal government by and large examines more sources and conducts more thorough investigations than industry. In general, private employers (1) have less access to information about applicants; (2) conduct relatively inexpensive investigations in a short amount of time; (3) occasionally use alternative information sources; and (4) outsource many elements of background checks. It is recommended that the DoD periodically evaluate private sector screening programs and data sources in order to monitor progress.