Background checks can be used for a variety of purposes and are a good way to have confidence that someone with whom you are involved personally or professionally is disclosing all necessary information. Employers often use background checks to get verification of previous employment, driving records and to ensure there is no criminal activity. This is an important step in the hiring process especially in positions where employees may handle sensitive information or who may be working with the public or with children.

Having the security that background checks were made will not only allow the employer to feel better about their hiring decision but it may also reduce the liability of the company should something happen in the course of employment and the company is sued.

Background checks are not only for employers, though. People will do background checks on other before getting into a personal relationship with them. This is becoming even more common with the increasing popularity of online dating services. Because the Internet lends a certain amount of anonymity to a person, the other party can get information and check their story by doing a background check. This is a good safety precaution especially with the news stories of abductions and abuse at the hands of people they met online. Knowing the person on the other end of the computer is telling the truth is not one hundred percent guaranteed that something bad might happen but it reduces the odds significantly.

A person can determine if they want to meet in real life after the back ground checks are complete.

Background checks can also be conducted for people who are trying to search for long lost friends or relatives. Even if there is only a little bit of known information, you may be able to get previous addresses, employers and criminal history that will help track the other person down. There are a number of back ground check services available. They can be found in a local telephone directory or online. Many employers who hire frequently subscribe to these services to do background checks on all prospective hires. They will get a discounted rate for the number of checks that are done each month.