FA Live: How to Optimize Screening for Your Retail Workforce

As the biggest employer in the US, the retail industry, is at the forefront of hiring, recruiting thousands of workers for what is often their first job. Retailers are also some of the world’s most recognizable brands, making their reputation a valuable asset. When it comes to background checks, yes, speed is crucial, but hiring safely remains paramount.  

In a recent edition of FA Live, we invited Matt Levin, Key Accounts Sales Executive at First Advantage, to discuss the unique challenges facing the retail industry and the top strategies retailers can develop to address them. Here’s Matt’s answers to FAQs retailers have about hiring, background screening, compliance, automation, and more.  

What are retail companies’ unique background check needs? 

Retail is an industry based on high-volume hiring, often with entry-level wages. The challenge for employers is to manage risk and speed while maintaining their good reputation as some of the world’s most famous brands, all to a high standard. 

What are the top background screening requirements that retail employers typically prioritize? 

Because retailers mostly hire for entry-level and temporary positions, there’s a misconception that they spend little to no money on the background check. After all, is it truly necessary to screen people who are likely to spend only a little time with the company? 

However, this erroneous assumption doesn’t take into account the fact that retail positions are typically frontline positions. Retail workers are dealing directly with customers, either in person or on the phone, sometimes showing up directly at customers’ doors to deliver packages.  

In the event of a workplace incident, the company could suffer major reputational losses on top of the damage inflicted to people or property, making safety a serious concern. Clearly, a retail background check is an important step that should not be omitted, regardless of the wage associated with the position.  

While the form the check takes can vary by need, it should at least include a criminal record search and often drug screening. I-9 and Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) solutions should also be considered to speed up these otherwise time-consuming manual processes. 

Do retailers face specific compliance challenges when it comes to screening? 

Retailers need to be mindful of “Ban the Box” initiatives present in multiple states. These initiatives help people with a criminal history have a fairer chance of finding work by banning questions about the criminal record on the job application.  

Drug screening has also seen massive shifts over the last ten years as marijuana has been legalized across large parts of the US. 

Since it can be difficult to track the progress of drug legislation and Ban the Box initiatives, retailer employers should find a background check provider who can help keep them updated on the latest regulatory changes and provide them with benchmarking quarterly reviews. 

How does automation help retailers streamline and scale their background screening? 

For years, the retail industry took an old-fashioned approach to background screening. It’s only in the last five years or so that progress has been made, albeit at a tremendous pace. Automation is now used to accelerate fulfillment, for process improvement, and other back-end operations. Technology has been particularly beneficial to reduce retail background check turnaround times for an industry in which speed is paramount. 

How does a verticalized structure help support the needs of retail customers? 

First Advantage’s verticalized structure helps address the specific needs of retail customers by providing support based on the regulations and screening requirements in their industry. The retail industry, specifically, is shaped by its high volume of hires, which makes benchmarking insights particularly useful. Retail employers want to hear their peers explain how they address the challenges involved in managing their hiring pipeline. 

To facilitate these conversations, First Advantage has launched Collaborate, a hiring and background screening event where retailers can meet like-minded retailers, trade insights and success stories, address pain points, and benchmark strategies and best practices. 

What tools or technologies would you recommend retail companies use to enhance their screening process and address their pain points? 

With 1 in 4 candidate profiles predicted to be fake by 2028 according to Gartner, identity fraud is currently at the forefront of retailers’ minds. Digital identity has emerged as a highly effective way to fight back against applicant fraud. Social media screening is also gaining increased interest as a valuable way of confirming that applicants share their employers’ values and would make positive brand ambassadors. 

From a technology perspective, retailers are looking for “one-stop-shop” solutions that will let them oversee every aspect of the hiring process, from background screening and WOTC to I-9 compliance, within the same centralized platform.  

Is there something retail companies are overlooking in background screening that could potentially make a big difference? 

Yes, retailers should assess their program regularly to make sure it’s still working for them. What may have been right three years ago may be outdated now. There’s a need for checks and balances to make sure that, for example, there aren’t newer and faster ways to complete drug screening or manage WOTC eligibility.  

Retailer employers should speak with their background check providers for a program evaluation. Here at First Advantage, we provide regular business reviews to confirm that our customer’s program is well-rounded and still suits their needs.  

In the fast-paced world of retail, hiring quickly is paramount, but it cannot come at the expense of customer safety and brand reputation. A thorough screening program made specifically for the retail industry helps you hire with speed and efficiency while creating a safety-first workplace culture. First Advantage’s smart automation tools, I-9 and WOTC management solutions, and tailored support can help you take hiring to the next level. 

 Contact our experts to learn more.