In this Cisive Product Highlight series, we’ll review key tools to consider when screening your workforce, as well as top benefits and features when ordering them through Cisive and our family of brands.

This month’s highlight is Criminal Monitoring, a key tool for organizations committed to protecting the communities they serve.

What is Criminal Monitoring? Why is it important?

Criminal monitoring is a type of criminal background check that allows employers to ensure the safety of their organizations through ongoing near real-time notifications of criminal records.

Criminal background checks are one of the primary background screens employers utilize when hiring new employees. Many employers only run criminal background checks on new hires. Some organizations will recheck the criminal backgrounds of employees every 2-5 years.

However, it is becoming more common for employers to opt for continuous criminal monitoring. According to a 2021 survey by Cisive, almost a third of employers who introduced new background checks during the pandemic included criminal monitoring.

Who benefits most from Criminal Monitoring?

Criminal monitoring is especially important for organizations in high-risk industries. Some examples are:

• • home healthcare
  • senior care
  • financial services
  • transportation
  • gig economy
  • home services
  • utilities
  • education
  • churches
  • retail

Organizations should also consider adding criminal monitoring to their background screening program if they hire employees with access to vulnerable people, information, or homes, or if the organization operates in certain business conditions. Some examples of these conditions are:

• • Employees work in customers’ homes.
  • Employees work with children.
  • Business is vulnerable to the large financial or reputational risk that can be taken advantage of by a single rogue employee.
  • Employees drive or operate machinery on behalf of the company.
  • The workforce has a history of criminal activity.
  • There is a high turnover in the workforce.
  • The business operates in a highly-regulated industry.

How does Criminal Monitoring work?

When an employer decides to add criminal monitoring, they provide Cisive with a list of employees to be monitored on an ongoing basis. The 24/7 monitoring service will scan employees for criminal activity and provide a near real-time alert of any criminal arrest or conviction, as well as when an employee is booked into custody, released from custody, and/or incarcerated for a certain “length of stay.”

The employer receives alerts upon validation of arrest (typically within 1-2 days). In addition, daily updates are accessible through Cisive’s platform.

Cisive’s criminal monitoring solution provides employers with accurate, verified, actionable information that is fully compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

What is on a Continuous Criminal Monitoring record?

The following Personally Identifiable Information (PII) may be on a Continuous Criminal Monitoring record:

• • Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Driver’s License Number
  • Address (when available)

How can Cisive help?

We can help you develop a background screening program to include criminal monitoring, ensuring you’re doing everything in your power to keep your employees and customers safe. With Cisive, you’ll remain fully compliant with all federal, state, and local guidelines.

Contact us to reduce your risk with an ongoing criminal screening program today.