Are you incorporating candidate aliases in your background checks? If not, you might be overlooking significant information crucial for making informed hiring decisions. Skipping aliases in background screening can result in incomplete reports, potentially affecting your organization's risk management and compliance efforts. Let's explore how aliases can influence background checks and why they are essential for a comprehensive candidate evaluation. 

Defining an Alias 

The word “alias” might conjure images of secret agents, but in reality, aliases are common and often mundane. Many people, including job applicants, have aliases. An alias, or "also known as" (aka), is any alternative name a person uses, such as nicknames or previous legal names. 

Aliases can include maiden names, hyphenated names, suffixes, or shortened versions of names. For example: 

 Jennifer Mowang, who has been called Jen since childhood, might use Jen Mowang on job applications. 

Stephen Richards Jr. could be known as Steve Richards or simply Stephen Richards. 

Susan Watanabe-Fox might show up in records as Susan Watanabe, Susan Fox, or Susan Watanabefox, depending on database conventions. 

The Impact of Aliases on Background Check Results 

Including aliases in background checks can significantly enhance the amount of information retrieved. When someone is convicted of a crime, the name they use during processing is recorded in the Public Record Index. Court records usually do not account for all names a person has used, and they are rarely updated if someone changes their name after a conviction. 

For example, if Mia Jones uses the name Mia for her background check, criminal records associated with her legal name, Maria Jones, may not appear. This oversight can result in missing critical information. 

Contrary to popular belief, background check providers do not automatically search for aliases. Typically, the search is conducted using the name provided by the candidate. If a candidate lists a nickname or a newly changed name, records under different aliases might not be found. 

Additionally, some courts require exact name matching. For instance, searching for “M. Jones” might not yield records for either Mia Jones or Maria Jones. 

Benefits of Including Aliases in Background Checks 

Adding aliases to background checks results in more comprehensive screenings, enhancing the safety and trust of your workforce and customers. Utilizing aliases can uncover up to 27% more records. 

Aliases improve various searches, including federal, national, state, and county criminal records, civil court records, global watchlists, and sex offender registries. 

In fields like healthcare, finance, or real estate, where verifying professional credentials is crucial, comprehensive checks are essential to avoid regulatory issues, fines, and legal liabilities. For example, a nursing candidate might not disclose their full legal name, potentially hiding disciplinary actions in healthcare sanctions checks. Similarly, regular rechecks on employees who change their names might miss important sanctions, risking patient safety and organizational compliance with funding requirements. 

How to Incorporate Aliases in Your Screening Process 

Bchex makes it straightforward to include aliases in background checks. You can add aliases when ordering a background check or creating a package from the Bchex Dashboard. If preferred, you can opt out of this feature. 

Request aliases directly from candidates by asking for previous names or variations during job applications or consent for background checks. Aliases can also be identified through SSN Trace, and motor vehicle records,.  

Most Bchex criminal background screening packages include an SSN Trace, which reports names linked to a candidate’s Social Security number, facilitating further searches if necessary. 

Adding aliases to your background screening process is seamless with Bchex. Reduce risk and ensure thorough results by using aliases to cover all names a candidate may have used. Bchex delivers accurate, complete results without affecting turnaround time, helping you hire efficiently and confidently. 

*Disclaimer*

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult your legal counsel for advice tailored to your specific needs and compliance with applicable laws.