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Sterling conducts background checks so companies can verify the identity of potential employees. This can reveal troubling incidents in your past, which can jeopardize company culture in the future. You can also rest assured that Sterling is no newcomer, having been founded in 1975 with over 40.000 customers and over 75 million background checks a year. Sterling is based in New York, NY.
In this Sterling review, we will assess whether it provides one of the best background check services available today. We'll look at all aspects of Sterling's service, including pricing, functionality, and specifications. Finally, we'll compare Sterling to its competition so you can decide if this is the right service for your organization.
- Sterling Sterling on Amazon for €4.08
Packages and prices
Companies that intend to perform more than 100 background checks per year should contact a Sterling representative who will provide a personalized quote tailored to the demands of their organization. As usual, business credentials must be provided to start the process.
While for large organizations that will undoubtedly have custom needs, Sterling has previously published pricing for smaller, standard needs. Unfortunately, they have also become opaque to these low-volume users, with no price disclosure on their website or through a search engine. For your information, we indicate below that the price was historical and to give an idea of the costs involved, however, they may have changed significantly and we have no way of verifying this.
Small business users who intend to perform fewer than 100 background checks per year can choose a pricing tier based on the scope of background check required. The cheapest is the driver's check, which costs €9.95 per check. A more comprehensive education and employment check is also affordable, costing just €19.95 per check.
Check packages start at the Basic Check rate level. It costs €29.95 per check, reveals criminal records and tracks social security numbers (SSNs). The Preferred Check costs €59.95 per check, which enhances the capabilities of the Basic Check by revealing federal criminal records by location and revealing suspected terrorist status. The most expensive check is the Pro Check, at €79.95 per check, which reveals all the information from the previous two checks, as well as multi-state booking records and all federal criminal information.
How does it work
Sterling performs all verification legally by reviewing publicly available records. Its goal is to help business leaders determine whether potential employees are trustworthy when disclosing financial information (such as bankruptcies), workplace compensation claims, and criminal history data. Please note that all credit and criminal background checks are only legal when the potential candidate agrees to them.
Using an SSN trace, Sterling searches criminal history files not only by name but also by Social Security number, revealing undisclosed addresses and aliases along the way. She then verifies arrest or conviction records for accuracy before presenting them to business leaders for review.
Functions and services
Sterling offers a wide range of services, so hiring managers can simply wait for their candidate's background check to arrive at their desk. These include the following items:
Sterling checks criminal records at the county courthouses in the areas where the potential candidate has lived (up to 10 years). Most employers want this background check to be the norm, so it includes the Sterling Basic Check and all other levels. Sterling claims to have access to 85% of the criminal databases in the United States through CourtDirect, through its proprietary automation technology (in case you were wondering, apparently the other 15% is on paper and of course therefore, it is not electronically searchable. For situations that require access to these records, Sterling has specialized court investigators who can find and access this data.)
All verification packages include searches of your candidates' names against the National Sex Offender Registry, so you can keep people safe within your organization and protect children who may be on your premises.
Preferred and Professional Checks consult the Bureau of Foreign Assets database to identify if your candidate is listed as suspected of domestic or international terrorism.
SSN tracking is included with each check package. Because SSN tracing identifies public records related to a Social Security number rather than a name, information normally hidden in public records regarding address history and possible aliases is revealed. SSN tracking shows if your candidate is truthful about their previous job and whereabouts history.
Sterling Preferred and Pro checks assess whether your candidate's name appears in federal crime databases so you can ensure your assets are safe in their hands. In addition, a federal criminal investigation confirms if your candidate has been honest about her location in the last 7 to 10 years.
There is also a search on social networks. This doesn't just locate candidates' social media accounts, thanks to a partnership with Fama to vet publicly available information. Artificial intelligence is then applied to search for unfavorable behaviors, including "bigotry, sexism, and violence," so these candidates can be identified before they damage a brand's reputation.
Customer care and service
Sterling has extensive customer service. Help is available via a toll-free number, 24 hours a day, in all US, European and Asian time zones, including Pacific Time and Eastern Time for US customers. There is also a direct email address that can be used to contact support, which is useful for asynchronous communication. Finally, a support portal is available to initiate support.
Those looking for advanced support options like a chat option, video tutorials, or a user forum won't find them here.
Customer service teams are trained in specific sectors. For example, there are specific support teams for hiring departments in the healthcare, retail and government sectors. When you first speak with a Sterling customer service representative, they are already familiar with the background check requirements specific to your industry.
However, applicants do not get the same positive customer service experience as business customers, as they can only request help through a form on the site. Candidates regularly criticize Sterling on Notice Aggregators for delays in document processing, poor communication, and impossible deadlines imposed at the last minute.
Competition
Unlike competitor GoodHire, Sterling's background check method seems outdated. Sterling provides the results of the background check at the end of the process. GoodHire integrates controls into your team's workflow through the Applicant Tracking System platform, so you can see exactly where you are in the process and receive notifications with every update.
Certn is one of Sterling's main competitors. Instead of conducting background searches and submitting them to your hiring manager, Certn allows hiring departments to run independent background checks using their software. Despite the convenience of in-house software, outsourcing background checks can be beneficial from a legal standpoint, as it lessens liability in civil lawsuits.
Final verdict
Sterling is undoubtedly a leading background check service in the market for assessing the character of potential recruits based on their legal and professional background. All of the checks Sterling offers indicate whether your candidate is trustworthy, and more detailed checks are required for professions that deal with sensitive data, deal with vulnerable people, or have valuable assets. As an outsourced background check service, Sterling will help prevent your organization from feeling guilty should civil lawsuits arise as a result of the process. We recommend Sterling for small businesses that need to verify the integrity of their employees to protect their assets.
We've also highlighted the best background check services.
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